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Americans Don't Think the Platforms Are Doing Enough To Fight Fake News (poynter.org)
Journalists regularly weigh in on what platforms like Facebook and Google are and aren't doing to stop the spread of viral misinformation. But what do Americans at large think? From a report: Nothing good, according to a new survey published by Gallup and the Knight Foundation on Wednesday. The report, based on web surveys from a random sample of 1,203 U.S. adults, found that 85 percent of Americans don't think the platforms are doing enough to stop the spread of fake news. Additionally, 88 percent want tech companies to be transparent about how they surface content, while 79 percent think those companies should be regulated like other media organizations -- a common trope among journalists. That's despite the fact that the majority of people surveyed (54 percent) said social media platforms help keep them informed and that they're concerned about those companies making editorial judgments.
I think we haven't done enough to separate these two concepts. We're confusing manipulative lies with opinions incompatible with the worldview of a segment of the population, and it will destroy us.
propaganda
noun propaganda \ prä-p-gan-d , pr- \
1) : the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person
2) : ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause; also : a public action having such an effect
“That the existential realm of man could be taken over by pseudorealities whose fictitious nature threatens to become indiscernible is truly a depressing thought. And yet, the Platonic nightmare, I hold, possesses an alarming contemporary relevance. For the general public is being reduced to a state where people are not only unable to find out about the truth but also become unable even to search for the truth because they are satisfied with deception and trickery that have determined their convictions, satisfied with a fictitious reality created by design through the abuse of language.”
--Josef Pieper
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
You can't really win when 50% of the population considers one news fake, and the other 50% considers the opposite news to be fake...
Maybe just let people read different news sources and decide.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
So the people with a vested interest in propping up traditional media and censorship miraculously discover in a poll that... Americans want more censorship!
It's like Stalin proclaiming that Russians want more communism!
Or like Brawndo proclaiming that Brawndo is what people crave!
Howabout teaching critical thinking skills at every grade level. A large chunk of this generation may already be too far gone, but that doesn't mean we can't begin fixing the problem with the next one. Anyone with even a modest ability to critically think when confronted with hyperbole on social media sites can quickly discern real from fake news, or at least realize the need to use Google or other search engines (such as duckduckgo.com) to check the veracity of any "news" report or bombastic claim.
The problem is that the definition of "fake news" seems to have changed for incorrect facts or biased viewpoints to "anything that contradicts my beliefs or I simply don't like"
Because your perception of things given to you by people who want you to distrust the media is incorrect.
Weaselmancer
rediculous.
Getting news served up inside a bubble is a goddam mistake.
Exactly. The whole concept of "likes" and recommendations based on passed viewing habits is a disaster. Netflix, facebook, youtube, even public education is moving to "personalized content". Personalized content doesn't create a well rounded person, personalized content turns a slightly one sided person into a completely one sided person over a very short amount of time. Silicon Valley needs to completely abandon most forms of personalized content but I predict instead they will likely double down and instead start using a person's friends list to decide what is and is not fake news.
there's plenty of actual fake news going around. Google "QAnon". There's also a ton of misinformation around Climate Change. And then there's John Oliver's video on Astroturfing last week.
There's literally billions being spent to spread what can only be called lies. I'm less worried about folks confusing opinions with facts and more worried about them confusing outright lies for something true. That's what's going to destroy us.
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You know.. if I see something on a legitimate news site that sounds outrageous or out of step with reality in some way? I look elsewhere to see if it's being reported accurately (Snopes is good for this). Most people? Not so much, apparently. Stop using Zuckerbook and other so-called 'social media' as a news source, for starters! Then apply this Magical Thing called 'critical thinking', and (shocker!) common sense. There, was that so hard?
This all smells like utter bullshit to me. Evidence or GTFO!
(I welcome the downmods for demanding evidence for wild claims)
SJW n. One who posts facts.