Globally
The trend of fake news has not only been a problem in the United States. However, it is a on going epedemic in nations around the world. Theguardian, a news site, writes on how falsified information affects nations as a whole. For example, Germany, during their federal election in 2016 had a wave of fake news on Angela Merkel. Saying that "she could be the daughter of Adolf Hitler and that she was apart of a German secret police, the stasi." Another example of German fake news is, the issue of a "thirteen year old girl of russian origin, known as Lisa F, had been raped in Berlin by refugees from the Middle East." Shortly after being spread on social media and through Russia news sites, citizens of Germany took to the streets to protest against the attack, along with far right and anti - Islamic groups. Brazil also took a hit with fake news during the close re-election victory of left side president Dilma Rousseff in 2014 and her controversial impeachment in August 2016. During that time frame a story "shared by Pensa Brazil (Think Brazil) site falsely said that federal police wanted to know why Rousseff had given 30bn reais ($9bn( to the giant meat company Friboi came third in the ranking with 90'150 shares according to the guardian news site. All these fabricated stories being sharedon social media and the internet leading readers and the general public to believe a lie as the truth.
Locally
A popular example of fake news here in the United States is the Pizzagate story. Edgar Maddison Welch, a 28 year old man, walked into Washington, D.C. Pizzeria with a gun, filled with rage because he was lead to believe that presidential nominee Hillary Clinton allegedly led a child Trafficking ring in the basement of the pizzeria. Furthermore, there was no basement and Hillary Clinton was never mixed in such activity. Yet, the fake news spread over media caused him to take action when none was needed. Fires were shot y him, thankfully, no one was injured. However, if people did die are readers to blame the man or the author of the fabricated truth, fake news?
Individually
PBS NEWSHOUR published an article on Kaci Hickox, a Doctors without Borders volunteer who helped treat victims of Ebola during the Ebola outbreak. Her image was tarnished because of fake news. Instead of commending her on her bravery of helping people in need of medical attention, fake news over looked that significance and suggessted she had Ebola and would harm and create the spread of ebola in the united states. Causing her boyfriend to loose his position in nursing school and causing Kaci Hikox to almost loose her job.
If the public continue to view fake news as the truth and continue to feed on it as they do in this time and era who knows what the world would look like. Wars could start over the simple fact people are allowed to say as they feel on a social media platform. Major effects could take place because majority of people value a lie over the truth. Until the readers decide to ask for the truth. Like mentioned before fake news is not only affecting Americans, but people of the world. Fake news is asking people to react on their emotion which could eventually get people hurt. Fake news is stripping people of their dignity. And unless the public desire for true news, fake news will continue to get worse at a fast pace.
Hi Joy,
ReplyDeleteThe arguments you made in your blog post are laudable. Coincidentally I also read about the article about the doctors without borders volunteer nurse and used that in my post. I like that article. Your conclusion is also very good, giving a cause of action from the general public.
The only thing I saw was on paragraph two, on the "Globally" subsection. I think the thirteen year old girl of "russian" origin should have been capitalized because Russian is a country. Also bridge the gaps between your post with normal space between paragraphs and your post will come together as one beautiful post. Well done.
I agree with the potential consequences of fake news you pointed out. I liked how you divided your paragraphs between globally, locally, and, individually because it gives more detailed information on the differences between the three. You can make your conclusion more stronger by adding ways we can stop fake news and solutions to the problem.
ReplyDelete"Questions asked by many as fake news is being brought to the attention of many" in the first paragraph seems incomplete maybe try rephrasing it. I like how you make an argument stating how fake news affect individually,locally and globally.
ReplyDelete