From a young age, we are all cautioned to not believe everything we read. Well, in an era where creating click-worthy online headlines has become big business and public figures dismissing damaging stories about themselves as untrue, it’s tough to know what can be believed anymore.
To many the idea of “fake news” really took on a life of its own throughout Donald Trump’s surprising run to the White House. Throughout his campaign – and even after he became the President of the United States of America – Trump’s labeled reporters, news publications, or articles as “fake news,” if he felt like he was being portrayed in a negative light.
Where matters get complicated is when “fake news” is used in a defensive manner to dismiss factual, yet damning articles, instead of stories that when fact-checked, prove to be significantly inaccurate.
Sadly, the rising talk of “fake news” and the overnight creation of click-baiting blogs online have muddied the waters for those wanting to know what’s actually going on in the world. Of course, there are also those who continue to believe that the mainstream news is the “fake news” and would rather put their trust into seemingly independent – albeit less reliable and established – media outlets.
It’s a complex world out there and the undying trend of “fake news” isn’t helping the matter.
On Monday, June 19 at 10pm ET/7pm PT, join us for a new episode of theZoomer as an esteemed a panel of seasoned journalists and digital news newcomers explore the recent phenomenon of “fake news.”
Joining host Marissa Semkiw at theZoomer Roundtable will be:
David Bruser, Toronto Star Columnist
David Cravit, Vice President ZoomerLive and ZoomerU
Anthony Furey, Author of Pulse Attack: The Real Story Behind the Secret Weapon That Can Destroy North America
Raymond Heard, Journalist, Editor, Media Executive and Political Strategist
Justin Ling, Features Editor, Vice News
Anne McNeilly, Associate Professor of Journalism, Ryerson University
In the meantime, check out the video below as Darrin Maharaj of ZNews looks into what people think about “fake news” and learns how to pick it out of the crowded worldwide web.
-Adam Grant
