By Laurie Bergner
A few days ago, I received an excited email from a neighbor. He sent news that Donald Trump had actually won the popular vote by 500,000!
My neighbor, who, by the way, is a highly educated individual, was, like so many people, taken in by fake news. In our world of constant and often contradictory information from a myriad of sources, it’s seductive to believe those headlines we want to believe. So many seem so real. The NY Times had a story recently analyzing how one man’s tweet to his 40 followers ended up going viral, eventually reaching 16,00 on Twitter and 350,000 on Facebook – Facebook, where 40% of us get all of our news! He noticed a large group of buses, saw reports of protest against Donald Trump, and decided the two were connected. He tweeted and before 24 hours had passed, his post fueled a conspiracy theory about paid protestors. It didn’t matter that a reporter called the bus company, who stated that no one had rented those buses for protestors. Once these things go viral, facts don’t matter.
False news deeply affected this election, with many totally confused about what to believe and others certain of incorrect information. The current situation with our president-elect is a matter of grave concern. It is more crucial than ever that we have correct information to be able to observe and act on it. The bad rap about the “liberal media” by those opposed to liberalism tends to confuse the editorials with the factual news. The New York Times, for example, is often one of those referred to as the liberal media, even though it is one of the most respected newspapers in the world. It does have liberal editorials, but those are clearly labeled as opinion; news stories are just that: news stories, and not biased. One easy way to check the truth about a story is to cross-check it with other media stories. I sent my neighbor links to reports about the popular vote in the NY Times, Time Magazine and Snopes, which is a fact-checking site. Additionally, I checked on his “news” source, a site called Gateway Pundit. Sure enough, everything that came up cited it as a false news site. And hey, how about listening to news on WJBC and WGLT; both give objective news.
False news stories can come from anywhere. Just because it’s on the internet, looking like a real news outlet, or on Facebook, is no guarantee that it’s correct. Be smart! Look for red flags for fake news. Some are these: if it’s in all caps, or photoshopped, it’s false. If the site domain is a com.co, it’s probably false. If you’re unsure of the veracity of a story, it’s easy to find a reputable source that’s reporting on the same story – try the NY Times, the Washington Post, the Tribune, WJBC… Check the source of the story just as I did with Gateway Pundit. Remember that Facebook and tweets can come from absolutely anyone. It takes a little effort to be more careful before you think you know and certainly before you pass things on. Be smart, be careful when you’re trying to understand this very crazy world of ours.
Laurie Bergner is a clinical psychologist in private practice, working with individual adults, families and couples. She also works with the nonpartisan League of Women Voters, helping organize candidates forums, educational programs, and many issues in the field of law and justice. She has received many recognitions in both fields, including YWCA’s Women of Distinction in the Professions, Leaguer of the Year, LWV Special Project Awards, and the LWV of Illinois’s prestigious Carrie Chapman Catt award. Laurie has a wonderful husband and two grown children – also wonderful. She loves biking in the countryside, reading, and traveling.
The opinions expressed within WJBC’s Forum are solely those of the Forum’s author, and are not necessarily those of WJBC or Cumulus Media, Inc.
