Ask Slashdot: Can US Citizens Trust Government Data? (msn.com)

Posted by BeauHD on Tuesday January 24, 2017 @01:00AM from the fiction-or-non-fiction dept.

mmell writes: An editorial in the Washington Post and made publicly available via an MSN news feed has asked the question: "In the Trump administration era of 'alternative facts,' what happens to government data?" Given that Slashdot members (and readers) may represent a somewhat more in-the-know crowd on matters concerning data integrity and trustworthiness, I thought this would be a good place to ask: can we trust (or has anyone ever really trusted) government data? One might think government data would all be cut 'n' dried and not subject to manipulation, but I personally remember when government data back early in the Reagan presidency went from reporting nearly 15% unemployment nationwide to well under 6% by redefining what "unemployed" meant. So . . . has government data ever been trustworthy, and is it still so?

1 of 460 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Re:Gov't data by OhPlz · 2017-01-24 05:09 · Score: 1, Flamebait

He never said anything like that about the press. He supports a free press. After the buzzfeed fake news, he was asked in a press conference if he felt that the press should be reformed/regulated and he flat out said no, no hesitation. You guys are so caught up in your own echo chamber you're missing Trump supporting the causes you claim to support.