How did we get to this “fake news” point and is it improving? Can it?

Anonymous sources is a big one in terms of trust. And someone mentioned the blurred lines of opinion and news. Too many outlets don't respect the line of demarcation.

The one I haven't seen yet is with the rise of the Internet, the gatekeepers of information are becoming irrelevant. Everyone with a computer and a webpage is now a "journalist." They poach from news sources, or even get stuff on their own and present it as vetted news. It has an official sounding name and it's on the internet so people click and believe what they read. This has led to two problems related: The rise of news that conforms to an ideology rather than an ideology that conforms the news and the need to get something up online immediately. We live in an age of instant gratification and we need everything, including news, now. Stories aren't fully sourced before they are posted just to have them up to get clicks. People also look for validation and can get it because everyone can produce the news. Click bait, biased news, made up news, news that is inaccurate all coming because there are too many sites and too much competition for eyes that standards have fallen away.

 

In Boston there’s this guy who says he’s a journalist and speaking the truth that no journalist will, called Turtleboy Sports. The name alone should give you pause. He makes the c. 1998 Drudge Report appear Pulitzer worthy. He uses unnamed sources all the time and then rips on the media when they do. He’s been banned by Facebook and Twitter and uses this to show to his fandom that he’s being censored by the big, bad liberal media. I really hope he does something especially egregious and is sued to Bolivion ($1 to Mike Tyson), but it wouldn’t matter anyway since he’s probably living on someone’s couch and has 6 cents in his checking account.

 

Home | Bandwagon Boy's Awesome Massage Board!

 

What the hell was that?

 

I trust some of the old timers around here will recognize Bandwagon Boy's dulcet tones.

 

He also tends to punch down a lot, going after panhandlers, homeless people, "hood rats" and others who are down on their luck.

"13 Reasons Why" Turtleboy Sports is dangerous > Dan Margolis

 

No Charmions. Fail.

 

You hit it. The fake news screamers cherry-pick from scattered incidents that in no way are reflective of the journalism industry as a whole. Plus, they take opinion columns or commentary as that news organization statement of facts.

Every time CNN gets nailed (rarely, probably no more than at any point in its history) the pack jumps on it and thinks we're all like that. It would nice if everyone would rather be right than first to throw shit against the wall but I doubt that's going to change.

 

What really troubled me was one asshole with time on his hands and a keyboard can have that many people reading his shit. That’s the reader’s fault. It’s Facebook’s fault and Twitter’s for providing the soapbox.

The cure? Verify news sources? Give a news outlet an accreditation score like a school?

I also think “news” sources like Fox, MSNBC and, yes, CNN, play to an audience. That’s killing the industry’s respect.

I read NPR. That’s it for national news. I read BBC for world news. I read a local paper and TV news site for my local. I also never read my news off of Facebook or Twitter.

 

Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for November 04, 2018 | GoComics.com

 

I've never seen it happen. Clearly some of the top reporters in the biz have been burned by a source who was wrong and I'm sure they rationalize not outing the source by thinking well they might be right next time and they ARE well positioned and/or well other sources won't trust me if I burn this one.