Is Fake News Getting a Bad Rap? Four Benefits of Fake News.

People rarely say anything positive about fake news. Indeed, barely a day goes by without some politician or commentator bloviating about the horrors of fake news. They say fake news is disrupting our society, or fake news is destroying relationships, or it’s hard to tell the difference between fake news and real news anymore. In the interest of fairness, here’s a short list of some of the wonderful benefits of fake news.

• Fake news helps people avoid reality. Reality can be very uncomfortable at times. In fact, many people have far more reality in their lives than they want. Fake news provides a means of escape.
• Fake news confirms biases. Nobody really needs, or wants, to see things from the perspectives of others. In a world of chaos and confusion, what people need is confirmation that they are right about everything.
• With fake news, if you don’t like hearing opinions you disagree with, you never have to be exposed to them. On the other hand, if you enjoy being angry and hateful, fake news can provide more ammunition than you’ll ever need. Either way, fake news is the solution, not the problem.
• Fake News is more fun than real news. Fake news can bring laughter and joy into people’s lives. Or it can bring a sense of self-righteousness and moral indignation. Who doesn’t enjoy laughing and/or feeling superior to others once in a while?

Fake News and the Parkland Massacre

Fake news was flowing fast and furious shortly after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. One of the first fake things to happen was the viral distribution of a photo identifying a young man as the shooter who actually was not the shooter. I don’t even understand how someone could be mean enough to put something like that into circulation, but that’s the virtual world we now inhabit.

Was Jesus crucified over fake news?

When Jesus began healing people, he urged those who were healed not to publicize what had happened. It appears that at the beginning of the Lord’s ministry years, He preferred to fly under the radar. He probably knew that when some people heard about what He was doing, they wouldn’t be happy about it.

Still, it’s not easy to keep authentic miracles under wraps. The word got around and Jesus began to draw crowds. When He healed a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath, Jesus crossed some sort of a line. “Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.” Mark 3:6

Journalism After Dark? Late Nite Jokes and the Joking Jokers Who Tell Them.

Jimmy Kimmel

Many consumers now get most of their “news” from the late nite shows. With that in mind, there are a few important differences between newscasts and those shows that viewers should be aware of.

The hosts are not journalists.

Jimmy Kimmel worked in radio for several years at the beginning of his career. According to Wikipedia, he was on KROQ in Los Angeles for five years as Jimmy The Sports Guy. Carson Daly also had some radio experience early in his career. 

None of the other current late nite hosts appear to have any experience or degrees in journalism. Most of them (Trevor Noah, John Oliver, Samantha  Bee, etc.) worked their way up to their current spots doing standup comedy, improv, or some other form of entertainment.

The Genesis of Fake News

St. Mark's Anglican Church
St. John's, Newfoundland

According to Merriam-Webster, some of the earliest uses of the phrase “fake news” go back to newspaper articles in 1890 and 1891. However, fake news itself goes back much further. For those who believe in the story of creation as presented in the Old Testament Book of Genesis, it could be said that fake news goes back almost to the very beginning.

Trump and Colbert collusion? The Fakies/Fake News Awards were first created a year ago.

by Jack O'Lanterni, President of Fake News International

It’s shocking to think that President Donald Trump and late night host Stephen Colbert may have colluded to plagiarize the concept of The Fakies/Fake News Awards developed by Danny Murphy a year ago. And yet, the evidence is easy to find.

Nominees Announced for Second Annual Fakies - Fake News Awards

by Jack O'Lanterni, President of Fake News International

The Fakies - Fake News Awards

2017 was another tremendous year for fake news. Never before has so much fake news affected so many people in so many ways with such great consequences. Fake News International is pleased to announce the preliminary list of nominees for the Second Annual Fakies Awards.

The Fakies Awards are presented annually on April 1^st in Macedonia to honor the best of fake news throughout the previous year. This year’s extravaganza will be held at the fabulous Taj Majal Resort in the heart of Macedonia City. P.T. Barnum, III, will be the Master of Ceremonies.

Fake News and Trustworthy Sources: Who’s in Your Newsfeed?

Brian Ross of ABC news

Pundits, politicians, and professors are all wringing their hands over the proliferation of fake news. They’re all very concerned about the masses who now believe fake news. One thing that most fail to acknowledge is that many people prefer fake news over real news. Many viewers, readers, and listeners simply prefer news that confirms the things they believe in. It makes life easier. They like fake news and they’re not going to stop consuming it or sharing it simply because someone says it’s bad.

Santa Claus may cancel deliveries due to drone traffic!

Since the 1960s, when Rudolph began lighting the way, there has never been any talk of shutting down Santa’s delivery runs. However, new issues have come up which may force the cancellation of Christmas. The air traffic from holiday delivery drones has been building for several years, and an insider at the North Pole says a shutdown by Santa may be imminent because of it.

Blogging vs. Journalism: Can you say Blurnalism?

Bloggers and journalists, living together. Mass hysteria!

One of the late George Carlin’s classic comedy bits was about the differences between football and baseball. “Baseball is played on a diamond in a park. The baseball park! Football is played on a gridiron, in a stadium.”

These days some bloggers are doing journalism and many journalists are writing blogs. Although the lines are sometimes blurred - which has produced something I call blurnalism - there are some interesting differences most of the time. So, what would it be like to compare blogging to journalism in a similar way to Carlin’s treatment of baseball and football?

When you write a blog, you’re your own boss. You can write about anything. When you’re a journalist, you’re work is supervised by an editor or a producer who gives you assignments. In some cases, journalists suggest topics, but those have to be approved.

Letter to Florida Times-Union Editor about Fake News: Slow down and smell the satire.

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Note: This is a letter to the editor of the Florida Times-Union which was published on November 30, 2017.

The recent tips offered by Times-Union Editorial Page Editor Mike Clark on how to spot fake news were helpful.

However, Clark neglected to address one very serious problem: The inability of Americans to comprehend satire, which is the most prevalent form of fake news.

Don’t Let Fake Brain Enhancement Supplements Make a Fool Out of You

Albert Einstein says,
"Fake News 101
is brilliant."

Would you like to be as smart as Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, or Albert Einstein? Who wouldn’t? What would be the harm in getting a free trial sample of a dietary supplement to enhance your mental abilities? All you have to pay is $4.99 for shipping and handling for your trial order of Enhance Mind IQ. But wait, there’s more. Don’t forget to read the tiny print before completing your order.

Fooling the Faithful: 4 Telltale Signs of Fake News from The Babylon Bee

Satire is one of the most popular forms of fake news and some of the best satire is being cranked out by a website called The Babylon Bee. Their slogan is, “The Babylon Bee is Your Trusted Source for Christian News Satire.” However, you don’t have to be Christian to laugh at their stories. Here are a few examples of headlines.

New Documents Confirm Pilgrims, Indians Argued About Politics Over Thanksgiving Dinner

Poll: Majority Of Evangelicals Would Support Satan If He Ran As Republican Candidate

Man Encounters Morning Traffic, Immediately Loses Salvation

Pope Francis Offers Mind-Blowing Deals On Indulgences For Reformation Day

‘Sports Illustrated’ Releases Hotly Anticipated ‘Modest Attire’ Issue

Wit Privilege and America's War on the Witless

Note: This article first appeared on June 4, 2015, in American Thinker. I wrote it as a satirical piece. With the recent revelations about Al Franken, Louis C.K., and, less recently, Bill Cosby, perhaps the time has come to address the realities of Wit Privilege.  

“Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.” Mark Twain

Mark Twain

Wit is not always a laughing matter.  For example, the Sons of Liberty used their wits to pull off one of the most memorable practical jokes in history at the Boston Tea Party. Also, Ben Franklin disseminated and popularized his philosophy through his bestseller, Poor Richard’s Almanac. His witty one-liners are quoted to this day by people who’ve never even heard of the book.

Wit privilege refers to societal privileges that benefit witty people in ways that are unavailable to the witless.  It continues to be a potent force in the United States.  The witty elite use jokes and anecdotes to win elections, spread ideologies, and market their services and wares.  All too often, the witless are the butts of the jokes. They are at a severe disadvantage in virtually every area of their sad lives.

Confessions of a Grown-up Paperboy

Found that classic paperbag on EBay.
It was dirty and it had a hole in it.
Looks just like my old one.

Back in the 70s, newspapers were not always delivered by adults in cars. Newspapers were frequently delivered by “paperboys.” They would put their bundles of newspapers in canvas bags and either walk from house to house or ride their bikes. 

My first job was delivering newspapers and I did my route on a bike. Every morning, I would ride to the top of my street, Thomas Rd. in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, where a large bundle of newspapers would be waiting for me. I had eighty or so customers. About 60 were Boston Globe subscribers and fifteen or so were Boston Herald Traveler subscribers. There was also a handful of very discerning readers who got the Record American.

Fake Statistics and Defamation: Are half the players in the NFL really convicted felons?

In early October, a meme was circulated which asserted that over half of the players currently in the NFL are convicted felons. The meme appeared to be a response to the protests that have been going on. There was no indication where the statistics in the meme came from.

One of the Facebook pages where the meme was shared was Liberal Logic 101. The Liberal Logic slogan is, “Helping those of us with brains understand how Liberal Logic works.” The meme about felons in the NFL doesn’t seem to be by Liberal Logic. When Liberal Logic posted the meme about the NFL, most of the Facebook comments indicated that people found it preposterous. 

Fake Photos and the Folks Who Share Them

This is not the U.S. Army football team
kneeling during the National Anthem.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and a picture that gets shared can get exposure at exponential levels. Unfortunately, pictures can be altered in ways that do not depict reality. Sometimes a picture doesn’t even need any alteration. Sometimes, all a skilled photo distributor needs to do is to attach a provocative story related to trending news.

For example, one very hot topic has been protests by NFL players who take a knee during the National Anthem. The photo at the top of this post shows the U.S. Navy football team kneeling in unison for prayer before a game against the University of Tulsa. However, those players certainly didn’t take a knee during the playing of the National Anthem.

President Trump Signs Executive Order To Reduce Verbal Violence By Late-nite Comedians

Note: This post is an example of satirical fake news. 

In a speech at the White House Rose Garden, President Trump announced an executive order which will limit the number of punchlines per minute by late-nite comedians. Holding up a pen, he said, “Barak Obama once said he could get things done with a pen and a phone. Well, he left a few of his pens behind, and let me tell you, they work very well.”

President Trump explained his rationale for his new executive order. “The late-nite comedians are a disgrace. They’ve weaponized sarcasm, irony, and mockery, and other tricks of their disgusting trade. Night after night, they destroy the lives of Americans. The carnage has increased over the past few decades, and especially since the beginning of my term in office. These people are indiscriminate. They target innocent men, women, and children with no regard for common decency whatsoever.

Clickbait for fake news on Jacksonville.com? Sad but true.

I don’t routinely browse  Jacksonville.com because I get the print version of the Times-Union every morning at the end of my driveway. On Saturday, September 2^nd, I took a look at the online version because I wanted to share Richard Cuff’s intelligent letter about the controversy pertaining to Confederate monuments.

When I got to Richard's letter at Jacksonville.com, I saw an ad at the top of the right column which was clickbait for a fake news story about HGTV star Joanna Gaines leaving Fixer Upper and going into the cosmetics business. Having written a blog post about this fake news story, I was familiar with it.

Face Cream Fiasco and Fake Celebrity Endorsements: Is Joanna Gaines really going into the cosmetics business?

Upon reloading Richard Cuff’s letter to the editor, a banner ad for the fake news story appeared at the top of the page. As a legitimate news organization, it seems like the Times-Union should be able to keep clickbait for fake news from appearing on its website. People and organizations that help to spread fake news are part of the problem. I’ve sent a letter to the editor about this, but have yet to hear anything back about it.

Do you think news organizations like the Florida Times-Union should keep ads for fake news stories off their websites?

Are you comfortable sharing articles from organizations that sometimes help to spread fake news?

#FakeNews #JoannaGaines #FixerUpper

A Devious Question and Fake News in the Garden of Eden

When I was employed as a salesman at a car dealership, I learned that you can get someone to believe a lie without ever telling him or her a lie. It’s possible to get someone to believe a lie simply by asking the right question. For example, after I closed one profitable deal on a pickup truck, the customer said, “Dan, as much as I paid for that truck, you ought to throw in a set of mats.”

I acted as if I was taken aback. “Mr. Jones, we haggled quite a bit over this deal. Do you seriously think I have enough profit left to just throw in a set of mats?” I didn’t tell him a lie. I asked him a question. If I had just buckled and given him the mats, he would have wondered if he had gotten a decent deal or not.