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Freedom for Fake News?

1/21/2017

17 Comments

 
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by David Hagenbuch, founder of Mindful Marketing & author of Honorable Influence

Life is full of fake things that many people enjoy—artificial plants, imitation crab, professional wrestling—so why is fake news a problem?  Shouldn’t we embrace fake news the same way we accept many other pretend things?
 
Before tackling those questions, some context is important.  If you’ve followed real news over the past year, you know that fake news has multiplied in frequency and impact.  The recent presidential election, especially, unleashed a barrage of fake news stories that contained enough fanciful “facts” to grab people’s attention and trigger strong emotional responses, for instance:
  • “Tens of Thousands of Fraudulent Clinton Votes Found in Ohio Warehouse.”
  • “Trump to Release Secret Document that Will Destroy Obama!”
  • "Donald Trump Protester Speaks Out: 'I Was Paid $3,500 To Protest Trump's Rally.' "
 
While some have suggested that fake news stories helped swing the presidential election, others have argued that “the role of social media was overstated” and that “few Americans actually recalled the specifics of the [fake] stories and fewer believed them."
 
The debate over fake news’ impact on the 2016 election may never end; still, it is possible to identify specific cases in which fake news has led individuals to take extreme action.  On December 5, a fake news story about an alleged child abuse ring at a Washington DC pizza parlor led Edgar Welch to drive six hours from his home in Salisbury, NC to investigate.  Welch arrived at the restaurant with an assault rifle and fired several shots before police arrested him.  Fortunately, no one was injured.
 
Although Welch’s reaction to fake news was exceptional, it does exemplify why many people believe that this pseudo journalism is a growing danger for society.  Pope Francis has even spoken out against fake news, saying that the spreading of disinformation is a sin that represents “probably the greatest damage that the media can do.”
 
But why exactly is fake news bad?  As mentioned at the onset, we accept many other things that are imitations; why can’t fake news fall into those same categories?
 
A main reason is that fake news flies in the face of what news is fundamentally supposed to be--objective truth.  Newspapers and other media often have separate opinion sections in which editors and others offer their subjective perspectives on issues.  However, we expect the news itself to be an accurate and unbiased portrayal of facts—a plain and simple, “Here’s what’s  happened.” 
 
The Society of Professional Journalists expounds this standard of truthfulness in its well-known Code of Ethics, through the following specific mandates:
 
“Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.”
 
“Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.”
 
“Distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. Analysis and commentary should be labeled and not misrepresent fact or context.
 
Some may argue, however, that fake news doesn’t deserve to be held to these standards because it isn’t really news; rather, it’s satire or comedy.  So, fake news should carry lower expectations, as do other things that are intentional facsimiles.  For instance, people don’t buy fake flowers and expect them to smell like real flowers because they’re not real, they’re artificial.
 
The difference, though, is that fake news doesn’t openly admit that it’s artificial.  Instead, it does everything possible to look like the real thing, without ever saying that it’s not.  Most products that are simulations visibly label themselves as such, e.g., synthetic leather, imitation vanilla, etc., but not fake news.  That’s why Facebook has begun enlisting users and fact-checkers to help it identify fake news, and why a team of very bright college students has developed an extension for Google Chrome called FiB that uses an algorithm to detect fake news.
 
Few people buy an artificial plant, take it home, try to water it, and only then realize that it’s not real.  That’s partly because retailers don’t mix artificial plants in displays with live ones, use cryptic labeling, or otherwise attempt to mislead consumers.  Fake news, on the other hand, does those very things.  It intentional charts a fine line between fact and fiction.  It aims to deceive.
 
Fake news exists for a variety of reasons, but one of the main ones is that it’s profitable.  With an internet-connected computer and some web design skills, unscrupulous individuals can setup a fake news site that satisfies broad-based consumer desires for illegitimate information.  And, where there’s web traffic, advertising often follows.  All this makes for a simple yet effective business model that creates value for primary stakeholders: advertisers, the fake news purveyors, and many of the people who consume it. 

Unfortunately, as this article has already suggested, fake news does not support societal values.  Instead, by disregarding honesty and propagating lies, fake news wages war on truth—something critical to the functioning of every stable society.  Those who create fake news, or otherwise support its dissemination, should do some serious soul-searching.  More than outside intervention, such self-assessment is needed to bring an end to this destructive strain of “Single-Minded Marketing.”


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17 Comments
Gabby Kurtz
1/23/2017 11:47:15 am

This is such a pertinent topic to be discussed has much fake news has risen over the past year or so, particularly in terms of political news. While fake news clearly creates stakeholder value-- due to the scandal of the story or excitement associated with it-- there is no ethical reasoning behind it. A fake story is the same as lying and no one would want to be lied to about something. Yet people tend to believe everything they read on the internet because there seems to be some sort of credibility related to it. I know this year I had to be especially careful with the news articles I read and how quickly I was to jump to the belief that what I was reading could be true. If people want to produce fake news as a satire piece, the website should make that clear, such as The Onion does and other news sources. People are led astray by the fake news produced and it can only do harm, not good.

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Kira Fernandez
1/23/2017 08:05:44 pm

Though some fake news is written in such a way that many find it hilarious - even more so if others take it seriously - the danger of well-written fake news reaches much further than just the embarrassment of one's own gullible tendencies. These articles are born from the combination of emotionally-charged topics and click-bait tactics that entice many to read them, allowing their falsified message to reach a wide range of individuals. If people cannot realize that the article is false, it can bring many to act upon their emotions towards the article, such as posting comments that spread hate, formulating negative opinions towards a person or group of people, or as stated in this article, resort to violence. The authors of fake news may think that they are only getting a laugh or advertising funds out of hosting fake news sites, but in reality, they can be causing much more damage to our society and humanity than can be seen at first glance.

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Lydia Harris
1/23/2017 08:44:07 pm

I wholeheartedly agree with this article. I have a hard time finding anything good in fake news, even clearly fake news like what Jimmy Fallon does. For companies who share obviously fake news like so - while it may generate a lot of laughter, they may also be digging themselves a hole of trouble. Things that some may find funny may come across as offensive to others and in the end they may end up losing publicity or obtaining more negative views.
Others who publish fake news in hopes people will perceive it as real seem to have no ethical reasoning behind what they are doing. People never enjoy finding out that they've heard false information, and in the end it only hurts whoever happened to read their fake news articles.

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Natalie Robinson
1/23/2017 09:28:56 pm

I think the people and companies that are producing fake news are playing a very dangerous game because although a lot of people would have the common sense to realise that what is being said is fake, some don't. There are a lot of gullible people on the internet, especially as younger and younger people are on here reading the rubbish that is being fed to them. A lot of people will see the fake news and probably not have the time or energy to go and actually research whether or not it was true, this leaving with them with the idea that the ' news ' could quite possibly be true. This happens all the time with celebrities, completely fabricated stories made up by magazines or fake news outlets that can really have a harsh impact on their lives.

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Mary Roberts
1/24/2017 11:31:07 am

This article brings up an interesting debate: whether companies should be allowed to put out fake news. As it is usually easy to spot out the fake facts, I sometimes fall into the trap too. When reading the article on an alleged child abuse ring, it is quite obvious that the news was fake however not everyone can tell the difference; we want to believe what we are reading. For anyone to publish such news like that is ethically wrong and not only hurts the readers who take action but the people being targeted, in this case would be the pizza parlor. If your "fake news" is going to hurt someone then why publish it?

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Ryan Sum Ze Yang
1/24/2017 02:16:58 pm

Lies can be found anywhere. Social media, newspaper and even conversations among friends can hold lies. However, fake news, as said in the blog post, can be really dangerous to society. Not only can it spark hate, it can also go as far as causing a riot. News reporters should know that "fake" and "news" should never mix. With that said, fake news should have no part in the marketing world at all.

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Audrey Liberati
1/24/2017 04:19:34 pm

I agree that fake news is a very single-minded marketing. It also brings me back to before social media when people would have tabloids posting false information. The only difference now is it is harder to see if it came from a credible news source. I think other people have mentioned it, but if there is going to be fake news it should only be in the form of satire such that people know it is a fake headline. Companies with the intention to purposefully trick people have no place marketing to the public otherwise.

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Adam Black
1/24/2017 05:07:23 pm

Some people get a kick out of reading fake news articles, whether they find it funny or straight up ridiculous, but that does not change the fact that it is unethical. Distinguishing whether a news article is fake or not can be difficult for many, and for those who want to take action on what they read, like Edgar Welch, it can lead to terrible consequences. It does not take much for an article to go from real to fake. That can occur with a fake additional event or untold statement that can ultimately stir up a lot of commotion that can lead to many other terrible things to happen. I personally don't see the need for fake news articles. Although I see how they can make someone laugh, terrible things can come from them.

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Sam Fouracre
1/24/2017 07:31:19 pm

Fake news is the a prime definition of single-minded marketing. Though it creates value for stakeholders, it fails to uphold societal values as it lies and deceives in order to generate clicks and buzz around the article. Some sources can get away with this on platforms such as The Onion, where the satire is clear and hard to believe; however, when fake news providers produce headlines that verge on sounding like truth, it is completely unethical. Too many people would read the article and regard it as truth without realizing its falsehoods, which ends up causing problems. Deceptiveness like fake news is what gives marketing a bad reputation among people who are already skeptical towards the field.

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Matthew Fenstermacher
1/24/2017 07:33:17 pm

I personally enjoy joke news articles but this however is a sick form of deception used to manipulate people into certain mindsets. Satirical news stories are too exaggerated to be clearly factual and cannot be taken seriously. This form of deception is in no way ethically responsible but it clearly creates value in its deception of its readers. I completely agree with your classification of this subject matter.

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Scott Bertolette
1/24/2017 07:40:31 pm

I feel as if fake news is definitely something that needs to be addressed by publishing companies in the near future. Sure it grabs readers and makes money, but they forget the reason why people read/watch the news in the first place - to learn about events that they are unable to see firsthand. News stations have the responsibility of keeping the masses informed. Like any major role, it can be easily abused to put their own bias into the story that sways viewers. Most major news stations have been guilty of this at some point, since everyone has a natural bias. However, reporting fake stories that are meant to be taken seriously is unacceptable. As stated above, I agree with the statement that this is single minded. The news is one of the few industries that can't afford to have a bias.

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Lindsey Macariola
1/24/2017 08:21:16 pm

I strongly agree that fake news is very single-minded marketing. In this article, what stood out most to me was when it was mentioned that unlike other fake things, fake news does not necessarily come out and admit it's fake. Compared to a fake plant, most people know it's fake if they have an intent to buy it. I also think fake news can be dangerous because people may see the title of the fake news article on Facebook or other social media and not even bother to read the actual article. Yes, if they read the full article they MAY still think it's real. However, if someone would read the who article there is a chance they could realize that it is fake compared to if they just read the title. Now because they only read the title, they are more likely to believe it is real which could result in dangerous actions.

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Abby McMinn
1/24/2017 09:28:56 pm

Fake news is definitely something I would like to see less of. It often clutters my newsfeed on Facebook along with other social media sites and makes me reluctant to click on any of the posted news articles because I never know for sure whether or not anything is true. I agree completely that it is single minded and unethical. I can't imagine sitting behind a computer screen trying to think of false stories to post and thinking before I post "well this otta get em." Who does that? I am glad to hear that Facebook is addressing the issue and that people are finding ways to fact check the news.

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Levi Greenly
1/24/2017 10:09:12 pm

It's a shame that some companies put their emphasis on what will sell, versus what is morally correct. The people putting out this fake news have zero regard for the impact that it causes on those involved, and it gives a bad reputation to other reporters who are getting the news right. Also, by constantly being exposed to fake news, we have to question the authenticity of the article, which blurs the line between truth and deception. The only reason that these types of news outlets have any exposure in today's world is because they can unethically turn a profit, since people will still read and believe it at someone else's expense.

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Alyssa Ebersole
1/24/2017 11:41:48 pm

I completely agree with this article. While fake news can be enjoyable and funny to read it is sometimes hard to distinguish from real news. This creates an issue because people believe anything they read, not caring who wrote it or were it really came from. I definitely feel that this would be single-minded because while it does create value for stakeholders it does not uphold societal values and is not ethical because it is trying to portray a lie as the truth.

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Matt Sechrist
1/25/2017 02:04:20 am

I believe that even though fake news can be fun and enjoyable like it is with the Onion and sites like it, but it can be very dangerous. Though many people in this day and age know not to trust everything on the internet and can often spot fake news, some people can't. It could incorrectly influence them and trick them into believing something that is not true. This is definitely single-minded and I believe that it could almost be mindless in the long run once people figure out that its fake and people no longer visit the websites or block them. All the big media outlets, regardless of political leaning, have examples of fake news. Its awful because they profit off of the false information given to their viewers.

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Aaron Scherer
3/28/2017 12:21:00 am

I agree with you. Fake news is an issue primarily because it presents itself as real news. If it did otherwise their may not be as big an issue. There is nothing wrong with 'fake' products that label themselves as such. But when it comes to something as influential as news articles, the dangerous potential of any one fake news article, as exemplified in story listed in the article, outweighs any precedence for freedom of speech that people might cite in support of fake news.

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