World, we have a problem. It's the 24/7 feed-the-beast news cycle.
"You can't believe everything you read" has never been a truer axiom. With the rush to fill every second of every day with fresh Breaking News, major outlets are failing every day at bringing us ACCURATE news.
Here are two examples from JUST THIS WEEK!
Case in Point #1:
Headline:
Internet Explorer Users Have a Lower IQ (than people who use other web browsers)
This one should have caught someone's attention before the rush to publish it in every newspaper and Internet news site in the entire world.
This "news" article was a complete HOAX, even down to the phony website that listed the information.
The only outlet that questioned the authenticity of the article was the BBC.
Original article from our local Fox affiliate
The Real News - It's a Hoax
Case in Point #2:
Headline:
Amy Winehouse Was About to Adopt a Child
We didn't believe this one from the get-go but don't tell the reporters that spread this falsehood like wildfire.
It was retracted the next day after it had been posted as real by...again...every newspaper and Internet news site in the entire world.
Original UK article
CBS.com retraction
Of course, no news article is actually "retracted". They just publish the "truth" the next day and if you missed it but caught the first, you'll never know you were duped.
In both of these cases the news itself was throw away news. Who cares if Internet Explorer users are dumber than rocks or if Winehouse wanted to or was going to be a mom?
However, how much of the news that we rely on for world or financial information is also false?
Is there any accountability in this day and age? Can you literally publish anything and get away with it? Even if you are an "accredited newsource"?
We checked The Drudge Report, the right-wing extremist news site and found they have linked to false stories like the Internet Explorer story the other day.
SURVEY: Internet Explorer users have lower IQs... ^
From the August 01, 2011 13:13:47 GMT edition of the Drudge Report.
True, they are a just a blog...like us...but in the rush to "print", they will hand out false story links like candy - 24/7.
How in the world are people to know or accept that the news story they are reading about is true at all? Do we have to give a 24hr "breather" before we believe or act on a particular story?
Can we only believe its-happening-live-on-tv-right-in-front-of-us-news?
As we go forward into this technological age we are living in, these questions will have to answered and news outlets will have to face accountability. Especially before they inadvertently cause mass trauma over a "terror threat" or something else that turns out to be a non-existent falsehood.
While we are bashing the news organizations that are supposed to give us real news, read this Blog from Al Gore.
His point is well taken although we're 100% sure that the news people will completely ignore it.
"You can't believe everything you read" has never been a truer axiom. With the rush to fill every second of every day with fresh Breaking News, major outlets are failing every day at bringing us ACCURATE news.
Here are two examples from JUST THIS WEEK!
Case in Point #1:
Headline:
Internet Explorer Users Have a Lower IQ (than people who use other web browsers)
This one should have caught someone's attention before the rush to publish it in every newspaper and Internet news site in the entire world.
This "news" article was a complete HOAX, even down to the phony website that listed the information.
The only outlet that questioned the authenticity of the article was the BBC.
Original article from our local Fox affiliate
The Real News - It's a Hoax
Case in Point #2:
Headline:
Amy Winehouse Was About to Adopt a Child
We didn't believe this one from the get-go but don't tell the reporters that spread this falsehood like wildfire.
It was retracted the next day after it had been posted as real by...again...every newspaper and Internet news site in the entire world.
Original UK article
CBS.com retraction
Of course, no news article is actually "retracted". They just publish the "truth" the next day and if you missed it but caught the first, you'll never know you were duped.
In both of these cases the news itself was throw away news. Who cares if Internet Explorer users are dumber than rocks or if Winehouse wanted to or was going to be a mom?
However, how much of the news that we rely on for world or financial information is also false?
Is there any accountability in this day and age? Can you literally publish anything and get away with it? Even if you are an "accredited newsource"?
We checked The Drudge Report, the right-wing extremist news site and found they have linked to false stories like the Internet Explorer story the other day.
SURVEY: Internet Explorer users have lower IQs... ^
From the August 01, 2011 13:13:47 GMT edition of the Drudge Report.
True, they are a just a blog...like us...but in the rush to "print", they will hand out false story links like candy - 24/7.
How in the world are people to know or accept that the news story they are reading about is true at all? Do we have to give a 24hr "breather" before we believe or act on a particular story?
Can we only believe its-happening-live-on-tv-right-in-front-of-us-news?
As we go forward into this technological age we are living in, these questions will have to answered and news outlets will have to face accountability. Especially before they inadvertently cause mass trauma over a "terror threat" or something else that turns out to be a non-existent falsehood.
While we are bashing the news organizations that are supposed to give us real news, read this Blog from Al Gore.
His point is well taken although we're 100% sure that the news people will completely ignore it.
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