Fake News

[Newbomb Turk]

Honest question:

I keep reading Trump tweets about how horrible CNN, NYT, WAPO, BBC, etc are putting out fake news with fake sources. Outside of the (quickly retracted) Martin Luther King bust removal, what is the supposed fake news that Trump is talking about?

Not looking to start a political fight. I just keep hearing “fake news” and “lying media” and I’m not hearing many examples. This is magnified right now because Trump isn’t going to the correspondent’s dinner and folks on facebook are saying things like “why should go hang out with the lying press and their fake news”. So again, what are some examples of the “fake news”?

[UtahFanSir]

Some of the Answers Are in Here.

[Newbomb Turk]

So, based on what you linked, the “fake news” wasn’t really fake?

[UtahFanSir]

I wish I knew.

[Buz Nelson]

From a normal “Lurker”–My thoughts exactly!

 

[EUte]

Here you go.  What you’ve described is part of Step 1.

[SkinyUte]

It’s pretty simple, really.

If it’s something negative, Trump/Spicer/etc will claim that it’s “fake”, regardless of the validity. Any news/polls/etc. that are positive, they will claim those are legit. Their supporters will echo this sentiment.

[UtahFanSir]

I agree. At least I would draw the same conclusion with no assistance from others by way of fake news.

Trump does seem to be extrordinarly sensitive and thin-skinned, as if all of this is about him, not the country. His now well-established habit of lashing out in various forms has worn thin on me. Maybe I am old fashioned, but he does not seem presidental at all.

I remain hopeful that Trump is effective on a host of fronts. Some of what he is doing now I am okay with. I just wish his staff was more with it to make it really look like the White House is a ‘well-oiled machine.’

His Machiavellian approach has kept the GOP Congress in line some. Also, he presents a good-guy bad-guy image in negotiating, where he is the bad guy. That helps define expectations with the opposing party and that can be useful to US aims.

I’m still looking to see if he is genuine on helping working folks. To me that is an acid test.

[User Suspended]

Ill be interested to know what zelous or cutthroat trout have to say about this.

 

 

 

 

[MV]

Thoughts and prayers for all those affected by fake news.

[Anonymous]

Like this story….

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amitai-etzioni/could-the-failed-yemen-raid-become-trumps-benghazi_b_14756638.html

When in reality it was more like this….

http://www.vox.com/world/2017/2/2/14485736/trump-fault-yemen-raid-al-qaeda

[Newbomb Turk]

Okay, that’s one. Although I could argue that those two news sources would be flipped if the raid happened on Obama’s watch. But I’ll give you that one. Got anything else? Because so far, I haven’t seen much evidence that the press is “fake” and “lying”. The only thing I see is accusations by the White House.

[ladyinred]

How are these examples of fake news though? The Yemen raid happened, did it not? I can agree that the Huffpo article is uncharitable to Trump at best, and biased at worst, but it is not fake news unless the event did not happen.

This is an example of actual fake news: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/world/europe/bild-fake-story.html?_r=0

The problem is that fake news has an actual meaning, and that has become terribly diluted and/or distorted in meaning thanks to Trump himself and his people throwing it around carelessly.

[Utahute72]

The whole story that came out in the New York Times is indicative of the issue. Someone in a Federal Agency leaks information about on ongoing investigation, embellishing the report by saying there was “evidence” of collusion. The FBI deputy chief (the same guy that decided not to prosecute Hillary), tells the white house staff the report is BS. Prebus asks if they FBI can correct the record. The FBI guy goes back and calls back to tell Prebus no they can’t do anything because it’s an ongoing investigation. Then you have a new leak that the WH tried to interfer with the investigation.

The bottom line is the press should be vetting these stories and acting responsibly before reporting. But since they have their own agenda they don’t. (I keep having flashbacks to “Absence of Malice”, where a character says, “We hope the press acts responsibly, but if they don’t there’s really not a lot we can do about it.)

So is it fake news? Probably not completely fake, but certainly less than fully accurate reporting.

[Newbomb Turk]

Regarding the “Absence of Malice” quote…. I hope the White House acts responsibly, but if they don’t…

So far, I haven’t seen anything that refutes Skiny’s post above.

Edit to add: So you are saying there is no evidence at all of collusion with the Russians?

[Utahute72]

Certainly it cuts both ways.  One of my concerns about Trump was that he couldn’t get out of his own way, and that has been a major problem in my mind.

[ladyinred]

The story in the NYT (also reported by other outlets) is NOT indicative of fake news. Your calling this example fake news is indicative of the problem. We can argue with their interpretation of the facts, sure, but they are not made up facts.

[ladyinred]

The FBI deputy chief (the same guy that decided not to prosecute Hillary), tells the white house staff the report is BS.

I’d like to know where you’re seeing this.

[User Suspended]

Fake : not true or real,
Biased : unfairly prejudiced for or against someone or something.

I would respect trump if he used the word biased instead of fake simply because a reasonable argument could be made.

What trump and his Nationalist administration is attempting to do is brainwash his loyal minions by demanding that only what he says and agrees with is truth. By doing so, he will develop tremendous leeway to lie and deceive.

The real question is; will proud republicans continue to ditch their so called beliefs and goose step toward nationalism? Sure sounds like it.

[ladyinred]

I think this article does a good job of describing what’s happened with the shift in meaning:
http://www.npr.org/2017/02/17/515630467/with-fake-news-trump-moves-from-alternative-facts-to-alternative-language