105. Fake news and lies

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I promised myself not to write about Donald Trump when I started writing Twitteretter, and I’ill continue to stick by this, but it’s hard not to when musing about fake news and lies, as he provides an extremely apt case study. Trump continuously complains about the fake news media, mainstream media such as CNN or the Washington Post. In doing so, he shows he does not understand, or does not want to understand, the concept. The news these media deliver have a provenance, an author and a legally responsible editorial team. They may be inaccurate, in which case they can be challenged with facts, but they are not fake. Of course, challenging with fact requires more work and it is only possible if they are indeed inaccurate. Much easier to just call them fake news. But fake news are something else, they are anonymous misinformation with no provenance designed to elicit an emotional response which will lead to viral spreading by both those that believe them and those who try to challenge them

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