Fake News

February 20th 2017

Fake news is on the increase. Not in the mainstream media as Trump would have you believe but in conspiracy theorist websites and radio stations dishing up nonsense to their avid viewers and listeners. This is a serious problem. It can impact our way of life and our future. The last presidential election is a good example of how half-truths  and planned leaks can sway public opinion and result in a power shift that will undo much of the progress we have made over the last seventy years. A report in The NY Times spells out how our new president relies heavily on one of these nefarious sites for his information. The operator of that site and an associated radio station argues vehemently that Sept 11 was organized by the government, that Sandy Hook was a fake news story, and that the Clinton Pizza shop sex scandal was real. Most of us know that such comments are absolutely untrue and dismiss the rhetoric as baloney; but not our new president. It turns out he is a fan of this poisonous liar and, as reported by The NY Times, has been directly in contact with him before and after the election. So who do we believe? I look to mainstream media such as the AJC to keep me on the path of truth with clarity and facts, and I hope the majority of our population do the same and ignore the conspiracists that seek to cause havoc and dissent.