Opinion: 2016, the year fake news became a thing!

“A wise man told me don’t argue with fools. Cause people from a distance can’t tell who is who.”

― Jay-Z

Not that it is news that it’s has existed fake-news. Fake stories and dubious tales to change the outcome and change the demeanour of a nation to swing them to a cause, if it is war, to annex a state or change internal policies; this been done through propaganda, done through blasting tunes on the radio and spreading ill-will on the air. This is well-known methods to sway public opinion.

You begin with altering the truth, making something unbelievable believable, because of former pattern and also history of certain actors that is known. Just as the American Government under George W. Bush, with Dick Cheney and others used all kind of tricks and foul play to target the regime under Saddam Hussain in Iraq; this done with the lie of massive loads of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), that we’re stockpiled and also imported from various sources even inside Niger and Chad. The Iraqi culprits couldn’t even find the nations on map if their lives depended on it. Still, the people behind spreading this news has walked proud-cock for decades and not asked for their favour to humanity. It isn’t just Tony Blair and George W. Bush who worked for an illegal war, also the men and woman who forced the news of ill-intent in Iraq; which wasn’t true.

“Duelfer portrays the United States as a lumbering superpower whose top policymakers, particularly in the White House and the Defense Department, lacked any basic understanding of Iraq’s history, motives and leaders. But he says Iraq also routinely misread American intentions and overestimated the capability of U.S. intelligence. He says that according to an Iraqi government account, Hussein once asked his top commanders if Iraq had any hidden weapons he didn’t know about” (…) “Duelfer describes numerous requests from senior Iraqi officials to start a dialogue with the United States to improve relations. “Each time I passed on such entreaties to Washington, there was never an answer,” he said. “If nothing else, they were missed opportunities for Washington to gain more knowledge.” (Lynch, 2009).

This is just proof of old history where the media together with government(s) are misleading the citizens to sway them for a war or conflict. As much as this can be countered with facts, the ones that swallow it with feelings will not change opinions with facts. Therefore with the current American election, certain stories has run and been eaten up, while not being true.

“The left has been hysterically pushing a new meme, “fake news.” While ostensibly neutral in practice it is subliminally weaponized as another lame vector — along with attacks on the electoral college and so forth — to undermine the legitimacy of the election of Donald Trump. Love Trump or hate him, he won” (…) “The real “fake news” scandal, of course, lies in the mass hallucination by the mainstream media that Hillary Clinton had a near lock on the general election. The overconfident reports of this reportedly led the Clinton campaign to make some unforced errors which just might (or might not) have cost her the election” (Benko, 2016).

Though other lies during the campaign we’re lizards inside Hillary Clinton’s body, that they had killed a dozen of people and we’re part of grand conspiracy, which apparently is bit funny in hindsight as the Trump Administration is more establishment than ever before, with more businessmen and close tightknit Wall-Street that Clinton was a hired puppet for. So the concern of these reports, the news that we’re created to cater the Trump supporters should be worrying as these conservative news and pages are spread like wildfire.

“The third person effect involves more, however, than simply a psychological tendency to assume that others are more easily influenced than oneself; this hypothesis also suggests that people may take significant actions based on these perceptions. It is these actions that ultimately comprise the ‘effect’ brought about by third person perceptions. For this component of the third person hypothesis evidence is again indirect, but suggestive. Some evidence of third person effects is documented in studies of candidate viability. Bartels (1988), for example, suggests that media coverage emphasizing ‘horse race’ aspects of presidential primaries affects perceptions of various candidates’ chances of winning. The perceived viability of candidates in turn influences the attitudes and behaviors of primary voters in choosing among presidential hopefuls. In this case, as in the third person effect, the influence of mass media is brought about indirectly through impersonal impact on how people think others are thinking. The ultimate effect in this case is a vote choice, but other changes in attitudes or behaviors may also result from third person processes. For example, perceptions of viability also have been found to influence reporters’ allotment of news coverage to various candidates (see Goldenberg and Traugott, 1984)” (Muntz, 1989).

This isn’t just pizza-gate, or Bruno Mars dancing on Mars. This is the rational reality that gets naïve men and woman sucked into these stories. They have been spread on Facebook, Twitter and other places to tell our friends and family of the articles from credible sources. Some stories are click-bait to get more people to read on the newspapers and other sites. These are so common that the articles you read after is looking credible, but apparently your scepticism should be true, because when it looks to real and beautiful the deal is fake. The same is also with the well written and articulated stories, that doesn’t have bound with reality and doesn’t seem to be legit.

That people would question this page, I understand, as I am not in writing in my own name. Still, most of the time, I use sources and reports to clarify my own understanding and what sway my opinion. Still, people should scrutinize me too, as much as I pick up wrong sources myself. There are some out there that want to change public opinion and want to bring some people down and get other to rule, or get silence over the acts of evil that is occurring as we speak.

Coler a fake-news writer:

“At any given time, Coler says, he has between 20 and 25 writers. And it was one of them who wrote the story in the “Denver Guardian” that an FBI agent who leaked Clinton emails was killed. Coler says that over 10 days the site got 1.6 million views. He says stories like this work because they fit into existing right-wing conspiracy theories” (…)”The people wanted to hear this,” he says. “So all it took was to write that story. Everything about it was fictional: the town, the people, the sheriff, the FBI guy. And then … our social media guys kind of go out and do a little dropping it throughout Trump groups and Trump forums and boy it spread like wildfire.” (Sydell, 2016).

It’s fake, but looks grand, right?

When you know that these stories hit a certain well-known perspective, a well-known agenda to be spread and to be fitted into believed atmosphere than you know that the Trump supporters would share it and believe it, even if Coler knew it all was just a lie. The lies that we’re to hurt the Clinton Presidential Campaign; this should worry and concern that major parts of the populations are following conspiracies over reality.

“But the incentives to create and distribute fake news are not only financial, and All-Star Macedonia Crying Eagle Number-One News and Views Very Good is not the only kind of fake-news website undermining the media infrastructure necessary for a functioning democracy. Trump’s nominee for national security adviser, a Jack D. Ripper type named Michael Flynn, has a particular fondness for publishing fake news to his Twitter account, as does Trump’s campaign manager, Kellyanne Conaway. Even nominally anti-Trump Republicans like Nebraska senator Ben Sasse have gotten into the fake-news business, entertaining ideas of “paid protesters” on the same day one of the most prolific fabricators of fake news admitted that the most widely shared account of paid protesters was wholly made up” (…) “This is, uhh, extremely weird, at best. Traditional news organizations, to state the obvious, are not built to survive an economy like that. You know who is, though? Politicians. The scary thing about “fake news” isn’t just that it’s financially incentivized by our new platform-gods, it’s that it’s socially and ideologically incentivized by them in ways that can’t be fixed without dismantling their entire operation. And, further, that the people best primed to benefit from “fake news” aren’t Macedonian teenagers hoping to buy guitars but leaders willing to untether themselves from truth in exchange for the powerful organizing capabilities of a passionate online audience” (Read, 2016).

We as citizens should let these fake news being spread on social media, neither on blogs nor on other platforms. The reality is that just like Ponzi-schemes, when it seems too real to be true, it most like is. The same can be said about Fake-News that is to cater one part of the population and to shelf the real ones. The time spent on fake-news should concern the media houses and newspapers as their legitimacy is under question, the main-stream media that has been under attack. It still is, and will be for a while as the people want the spread the fake ones.

The deception, this is the real danger, it is democratic that fake stories spread and that the population are involved in the reason for the existence. As long as facts doesn’t matter and the ignorance is growing of fact-checking is dying, this is a pre-existing state that will not die down, because as long as the clicks and spreading of these fake stories happens. They will continue to write them and spread them, as long as the Republican Establishment uses them and take them as real. The Main-Stream media will discuss it and put it into the spotlight.

We can do what we can and question our use of media houses and of what we find online. We should read with caution and question the sources. We should be critical too it and not take it for granted the articles, the news and that the reports has the time or the effort to look through the feed, the agencies input or even what the editor sees as important.

Media bias:

“However, it must also be acknowledged that the myth surrounding the existence of perceptible media bias is not without some small modicum of truth. Advocates of the existence of said bias commonly cite a number of professional patterns and standards of conduct historically employed by journalists (though are not exclusive to “liberal” journalists) in an effort to manipulate the depiction and depth of information presented each day to the American public. Such techniques discussed included six main types or styles of biases, including; gatekeeping information (i.e. purposefully selecting ideologically reaffirming stories for syndication), employing partisan source selection, omission of (potentially contradictory) facts, manipulating the degree of attention and calculable time devoted to a given issue, and finally, openly displaying narrative, subjective contempt for objective facts” (Quackenbush, 2013).

With this in mind, the third person effect, also the media bias. Together with this we can see why the effects of distrust to the media, as it itself created. Fake News will continue to flourish as long as the public cater to it and are in disbelief of the corporate media as much as mass media trying to control the belief of the public. Something they have lost control with all the platforms, as they are not just following Fox News, CNBC or the other main-stay TV Station and Radio, reading the one newspaper, but following digital media that can come from whatever source. This shows the current state and the state of the media in our time, as the fake news can be easily spread and change the opinions of the third persons.

These all are factors and we should question our own use of media, how we perceive the news and how we question the facts… we cannot stop the propaganda, neither fake news, we just have to clear the way and show the opposite waves and counter with productive arguments that can show the reality to those that eats into the fake, the not real and not believable news. Peace.  

Reference:

Benko, Ralph – ‘’Clinton Beats Trump’ Is The Real ‘Fake News’ Scandal’ (12.12.2016) link: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ralphbenko/2016/12/12/clinton-beats-trump-is-the-real-fake-news-scandal/#69090a3529e6

Muntz, Diana C. – ‘THE INFLUENCE OF PERCEPTIONS OF MEDIA INFLUENCE: THIRD PERSON EFFECTS AND THE PUBLIC EXPRESSION OF OPINIONS*’ (1989)

Lynch, Colum – ‘Ex-CIA Investigator’s Book Describes Hunt for Weapons in Iraq, Saddam Hussein’s Final Days’ (31.01.2009) link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/30/AR2009013003430.html

Read, Max – ‘Donald Trump Isn’t Just Benefitting From ‘Fake News’ Websites — He Is One’ (18.11.2016) link: http://nymag.com/selectall/2016/11/trump-doesnt-just-benefit-from-fake-news-sites-he-is-one.html

Sydell, Laura – ‘We Tracked Down A Fake-News Creator In The Suburbs. Here’s What We Learned’ (23.11.2016) link: http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/11/23/503146770/npr-finds-the-head-of-a-covert-fake-news-operation-in-the-suburbs

Quackenbush, David – ‘Public Perceptions of Media Bias: A Meta-Analysis of American Media Outlets During the 2012 Presidential Election’ (2013).

Opinion: Tired of certain types of Politicians who are snake-oil salesmen with their political speeches and writings!

“Every time I hear a political speech or I read those of our leaders, I am horrified at having, for years, heard nothing which sounded human. It is always the same words telling the same lies. And the fact that men accept this, that the people’s anger has not destroyed these hollow clowns, strikes me as proof that men attribute no importance to the way they are governed; that they gamble – yes, gamble – with a whole part of their life and their so called ‘vital interests.”

― Albert Camus

It already decades since Albert Camus graced this blue earth with more water than soil, still his words could be used today and his wisdom is still able to question our leaders of today. The resembling manner and tone, the bristling and blatant words that is still has the sharpness of a blade and cut into the bone.

Why? Why can it cut because the manners of politicians decades ago, seemingly is the same today. As the lies and deceit hasn’t left the politics. Neither has the foul play to gain power instead of serving the public. In general theory the Local Council Members, State Representatives, Governors, Senators, Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Executives are supposed to honour their pledges and be accountable to their caucus, constituency or district. Instead they are more loyal to their own careers than serving their voters. So often feels like a broken bridge between the public, the voters and the representative.

The bridge as they only appear right before the die is cast, sorry, the voters has to cast their ballot or polls as their job is on the line; their legitimacy and their relations has to be kept in upkeep as the liability towards the public sphere is important to promise and pledge to fix housing, roads, hospitals, civic education and save the kids. If not they will save the nation or district from biblical disasters, terrorists and unknown dangers.

We have all heard it and know the clichés and the artificial blend of phrases in a rhetorical manner, especially in a coded manner that could fence the xenophobia, the fear and the destructive tone. Some uses the coded language not to promise or really say that they will build the bridge or fix the schools; more that they see the effort and will stay strong together with the politician and his ruling regime.

Still, we accept this for the faith that the fake and lively attitude to collect the votes from us. The reality is that the lies and fakes to satisfy the play of guards and the sovereign measures of needed institutions to control and have oversight of the state. We should still ask questions to the needed for the lies in speeches and care as the politicians rather spend their time with family, than cutting bonds on roads in the province of nowhere with a local mayor who hate the guts of the Infrastructure Minister who feels betrayed by the locals as they wouldn’t vote for his party if their lives dependent on it.

The seasoned man, who has been in rain have made you wet, who has been in the sun has gotten burned. The measures men does to secure itself with umbrellas and jacket to keep each other dry, the same with sun-cream and others to keep the skin-away from the burning sun. Therefore the men who does so should also be able to pick away the men and woman who lies for their trade.

The quack-sellers and the snake-oil salesmen are in the trades of the Politics. Therefore some politicians earn coinage on their pivoting, their change of heart and their tricks to always stay in the good graces. But this is the not the men of solitude or the men of honour or trustworthy. You never know what they really stand for or what their ethical background as their choices are more a popularity contest of American Idol or Big Brother than of politics.

That is the reason why men like Nigel Farage, Donald J. Trump or other rascals with very little soul for their initial policies or political framework can get space in the political landscape as our tabloid headline dramatics can give space and airtime on radio and TV for their message. The message creates high ratings and secures advertisement monies to the Media Houses who couldn’t care less about the outcome of an election as they are there for profits; not for the common-good or service delivery of the politicians.

So we are at the time of day where the words of Albert Camus are righteous as the politicians are not telling about secret meetings, keeping the main objectives between the government funding, the multi-national companies and the trade-agreements; also with the bilateral agreements between nations and international organizations that are happening between the closed doors and is why the dossiers through whistle-blower’s are hurting the campaigns and the national security. But most likely also destroying the façade the politicians create and their level of PR expertise and also beholden to the laws they are supposed to keep.

The mentality of this together with the double-edged swords of public perception can cross through the flesh and destroys careers of an ordinary politician as the sexual adventures of Dominic Strauss-Kahn (DSK), but a few blunders haven’t stopped the Republican Nominee Trump. But at these times the lies and fakery seems to let him win over the American nation, instead of them repelling from his words.

So the political speech should be coded and with current words that express the views and place in the political landscape. Still, today there are more worrying signs of the way it is portrayed and accepted as the men behind the words are not stopped or feasible destroy the character not give the politician the space on the mainstream media.

This should be a worrying and not be a place our modern society should be in, where we let stone-age rhetoric and hatred towards fellow humans beings get away with their malicious attempts of gripping power by the teleprompter and by the social media machine of the political parties and the PR experts supporting the Politicians. Therefore the Citizens Kane of the world usually gets discredited on their way to public office, but now it is free-for-all.

Just like Citizen Kane as Charles Foster Kane in his final speech in his campaign for becoming Governor of New York:

“It is no secret that I entered upon this campaign with no thought. That I could be elected Governor of this state!  It is now no secret that every straw vote, every independent pole, shows that I will be elected. And I repeat to you – my first official act as Governor will be to appoint a special District Attorney to arrange for the indictment, prosecution and conviction of Boss Edward G. Rogers!” (Citizen Kane, 1941).

Other Politicians of these days are convicting fellow politicians without trials as a political gain and earn coinage on their bad moral. This is their moral and bad judgement that deserves to be punished with conviction and getting on trial through going courtside for their acts and activity. So with this in mind, the lying political speeches and does it with vital interest of the public sphere.

Main question after this triad from me; why should we accept his behaviour and accept these men leading us without any real discredit or any real consequence for the politician? This is what the society gets together with the public who is eating the bullshit from the politicians. But, that isn’t it, right? Peace.