Fake news. Popularized by the current resident of the White House and his entourage, the term has come to mean “news with which we don’t agree”. No matter how many videos, audio clips, photographs, or how much corroborating evidence exists, anything that casts a bad light on the administration, or more specifically, the President is fake news. So there. The big lie.
However, despite the fact the expression has been usurped for crass political purposes there still remain many examples of real fake news, ‘news’ based on pure speculation and/or outright falsehoods. While Fox News may be a prime practitioner, the rest of the mainstream media is not immune.
Anyone not currently living under a rock is most likely aware of the turmoil facing the Royal Family as a couple of the lesser members try to cast off the yoke and live a normal life – or at least as normal as members of the Royal Family will ever be. So while Harry and Meghan try to sort out their way in the world while not surrounded by inbred racists and rabid paparazzi the press has gone nuts.
Somewhere along the line it became known that their intention was to spend some time living in Canada. To which I, and most Canadians, say, “Welcome”. If you want to carry a Tim Horton’s reward card, learn to love poutine, and spend half the year wrapped in Canada Goose down, we’re here for you.
Then the Canadian media (the amorphous ‘they’) decided that a major issue with this will be who will pay for the Royals’ security in Canada? And that started an entire range of public surveys, national TV news items, newspaper articles, and so on pointing out how Canadians were hugely averse to paying their security bill, estimates of which ranged anywhere from $4 – $10 million a year. Which is all well and good except no one (to my knowledge) has ever asked, or even intimated that Canada should pick up the tab. In other words, this entire scenario was completely manufactured by the media, consumed countless hours of TV, radio, and online discussion, and tons of ink. All fake news.
Meanwhile, in real news, the US President has been impeached, the Iranians shot down a civilian airliner, China is still being China, Putin is cementing his long-term hold on power in Russia, and Australia is on fire. But, “Harry and Meghan…. blah, blah, blah.”
It’s no wonder the media is struggling to retain viewers/readers..
You forgot to mention the latest drama in the Kardashian family, etc...
ReplyDeleteHow could I forget the story of the century? LOL
DeleteWe got the same development in Germany. "The media" is no longer a source of information but a source of hysteria for the lesser informed. We have to remain vigilant and fact prove every headline these days.
ReplyDeleteTrue, but having to fact check even the ‘reputable’ media is exhausting.
DeleteDon't get me started! There are very few people in the media who can call themselves genuine journalists and true investigative journalists are as rare as hen's teeth. On many of the on-line news sources, spelling and grammar is so poor that they must employ their editorial staff straight off the streets.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm just a grumpy old geezer......
Geoff, welcome to the grumpy old geezer club.
DeleteThe media has lost all neutrality years ago. We the people have to work to get as close as possible to "truth." It is sad, but there are so few "journalist" that can be trusted. But don't forget about Harry and Meghan... haha
ReplyDeleteWith newsrooms all over the world cutting back on staff, most journalists now do little more than parrot press releases, with all the inherent spin they contain. And what is presented as news are more often than not opinion pieces penned by various talking heads, most of whom have a strong bias. Sad really.
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