There’s Fake News and Then There’s Fake News.
One is annoying, one can destroy countries — learn to tell the difference.
The last 12 months has been boom time for fake news. The year’s events brought the term into common vernacular, cementing it’s place bywinning Macquarie Dictionary’s ‘Word of the Year’ (the parallel ‘Post-Truth’ won out from Oxford). But what exactly is meant by fake news? And is it such a new concept in the media industry?
The U.S. election cycle saw both major party nominations preferring to leverage votes with rhetoric based hear-say rather than fact, and when the votes had been harvested and tallied, it was ‘alt-media’ who largely took the burden of blame with allegations of swinging the election through clickbait headlines and made up stories.
Now, if this was indeed true, it would be frightening. But these allegations - that alt-media’s fabrications are what convinced voters in the ballot box - are not entirely true. It is the fake narrative, not the fake stories, that we should be wary of.
A fake narrative is any line of deceit that is encompassed by an overreaching goal or objective.
When a story is published alleging that Ireland is now accepting Trump refugees from America when, in fact, Ireland is not, it is a fake news story. It’s confusing and frustrating, but relatively easy to either confirm or deny with a few follow up questions and fact checks. The motive behind it is can sometimes be to sway opinion or in some cases to entertain (the Betoota Advocate anyone?), but mostly to create sensationalist headlines that draw clicks and ad revenue.
On the other hand, when a global superpower openly judges another state to have weapons of mass destruction and is not only left unquestioned by mass media but unreservedly supported by those who, in turn, act as state-sanctioned messengers to the general public — it creates a fake narrative on a global scale.
A fake global narrative has a much deeper motive than ad revenue and a much wider reach than The Onion or America News. It is this issue of international deceit which we should most concern ourselves with, as no other force of human creation has been able to undermine and erode our society with such silent and unchallenged efficiency. The danger lies in the narrative playing directly into the hands of those who constructed it.
The construction of the fake narrative uses diligently unquestioning media as a vehicle to direct society to look to where the finger points blame and throw their support behind the status quo. It is extremely hard — sometimes impossible — to discover who owns the hand that points the finger.
Yet this discovery is something we all must do, together. We can continue following the well trodden path of trial by media for individuals and arrangement of criminality for whole societies; or we can decide to build our own narrative, based on researched fact and genuine investigation — the hallmark of any quality journalism.
For society to make this decision, first we must acknowledge the problem. And the best form of acknowledgement is identification, so let’s run through two simple steps to spot a fake narrative and start to build a more truthful ecosystem of news and journalism.
First, arm yourself with one question — ‘Who does this information benefit?’
Second, apply that question to absolutely everything.
I’m serious. Everything. Every little piece of information you get from a news source should be put through this question because it allows you to identify who wants you to know what and, generally, who is paying for you, in influence, power, or cold hard cash.
Real life example? This article is written by me, Liam, to help explain what we’re trying to do at InPress Media. Through you reading this, I benefit by exposing InPress and sharing my ideas about the news and media industry. Do I think this is dangerous? No (not to you, anyway). Does it benefit an agenda? Of course it does. The point is, when you know why a certain article was published, you will have a much better understanding of what you should take from it. The danger of fake news lies in you, the reader, not knowing who or what is behind it.
Identification is one thing, fighting it is a whole other matter. Mainly due to the deep entrenchment fake narratives have in our society, as well as the fact that most of these narratives come from the people we are supposed to trust the most in our society.
The first role we can play in the fight against fake narrative is to, again, question the information we are given. Question it relentlessly. This is not cynicism or pessimism in the role of the state, or a particular like or dislike for the parliament of the day, this is our duty as active citizens of a democratic society.
Once we have had our questions answered, the next issue is to hold those who speak in society to the truths we all agree upon — even if this means constant debate to determine what exactly these truths are. It is no use to understand and believe what someone says if they can simply walk around the block and reemerge with a newly minted narrative.
Society must affirm to those who inform that we will not follow their make-believe anymore. We will not be tricked or deceived anymore. We will stand together and hold the line of independent information and truths. We will not be lied to.
When quality, independent news and journalism takes root in society, it has the power to dislodge the fake narratives and propaganda which has held our social and political conversations captive for far too long. Clickbait fake news articles? That’s like comparing a made to order, quality crafted burger filled with local ingredients and the perfect bun that combines the essentials of sauces, seasonings, and tenderness in a way you’re sure only the gods could have created….with, well, when the ads trying to get you lovin’. Which would you prefer?
Exactly. When there is a choice, it’s not even a choice. And that’s the problem, you often don’t get the chance to choose. The main hurdle with getting that delicious and, reasonably, nutritious burger for you and your family on a regular occasion is finding it! Likewise, the main problem with avoiding the fake news articles and more sinister fake narrative is actually getting your hands on, and supporting quality journalism from independent sources, on a regular basis, in a user-friendly experience designed for the 21st century.
Welcome to InPress Media. And lucky you found us because this is exactly what we’re trying to do — give you the option to support and consume independent news, and make it an easy, painless experience.
InPress Media gives you unfiltered access to independent journalists creating independent news articles in a whole new way. A way designed for society’s (read: your) benefit, not just those who profit from peddling fake news and false narratives. InPress lets you browse through the range of truth, knowledge, and information that is brought to light by quality journalists who are dedicated to quality journalism.
We have built the platform, we’re spreading the word. We want to create an ecosystem that is independent of traditional control over news and information, that is the enemy of fake narratives, fake news and an unquestioned status quo. All you have to do?
Come join us.
Interested in learning more about the platform that’s trying to spell the death for fake news and the fake narrative?? Jump over to www.inpress.media to find out more about us, plus receive a free $1 reading material for giving us a chance!
