By this point, the perils of fake news are clear. From affecting election results to spreading blatant racism or just purely fictional information about significant public figures, fake news presents a distorted and dangerous version of reality.
The perils of fake news are clear, and the internet has given authority to insanity.
As with many things, fake news is a product of its environment; today social media is so prevalent in its role as a news aggregator, that information is spread in just a few short lines, or 140 characters, and taken at face value with no proof necessary.
It is evident by now that we are proponents of asphyxiating fake news by way of community-moderated content, however, we can still appreciate the insanity that the internet has produced.
With that, a roundup of recent articles decoded as fake by Snopes, good for at least an eye roll or two — just please, don’t share them.
1. Did Bernie Sanders Propose a Bill Forcing Christian Office Holders to Wear a Scarlet Cross?
Here we have “a fake news piece inspired by Senator Sanders’ antagonistic questioning of Trump appointee Russell Vought [that] says Sanders proposed a ‘Hateful Bigot Identification Act.’”
2. Atheist Iceland Issues a Travel Ban Against White Southern Baptists?
“On 6 June 2017, the web site Patheos published a satirical article saying that Iceland had issued a travel ban preventing white Southern Baptists from visiting the country.”
3. Was Chelsea Clinton ‘Thrown to the Floor’ and Handcuffed?
“A fake news site spread a claim that a “furious” Chelsea Clinton was roughly detained on corruption charges after a confession by a nonexistent senator.”
4. Is the ‘Liar in Chief’ Time Magazine Cover Real?
“An image purportedly showing President Trump on the cover of Time Magazine with the headline “Liar in Chief” is fake.”
5. The DEA Just Raided a United States Senator — Dems in a Panic?
“Reports that the DEA raided the vacation ranch of U.S. Senator Hal Lindsay of New Jersey and seized large quantities of illegal drugs are fake news.”
The trouble is, today’s news cycle is full of controversial articles and partisan accounts of events, without a source of validation it’s understandable how easy it can be to get caught up in a torrent of “alternative facts.”
Next week, we’ll bring you another round up. Until then, we’re working hard to bring credibility back to political journalism. Join the conversation on Slack, Bitcoin Talk, or Telegram.
