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| (L-R) Al Cross, Jennifer Brown, Richard Nelson, Mike Alexieff, and Ron Sanders (The Messenger photo by Laura Harvey) |
"In today's digital age, it can often be challenging for consumers to determine what information is truly reliable. But whether it goes by the name of 'propaganda,' 'hype' or 'spin,' it is possible for news readers to identify 'fake news' and avoid it entirely," Laura Harvey reports for The Messenger in Madisonville, Ky.
That's what a panel of five experienced journalists discussed at a panel last week at Madisonville Community College, giving attendees tips on how to tell fact from fiction.
Panel moderator Al Cross, who is the director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, said that the concept of fake news was nothing new, and that America's first newspaper, Publik Occurences, was shut down in 1690 for printing falsehoods. But though society began to demand more truthful journalism in the 1700s, most American newspapers during the Revolutionary War were partisan and spurred a rise in sensationalist news. Public backlash helped create the idea of journalism schools, which, along with the Associated Press, helped codify standards of ethics for journalists, Cross explained.
But with the rise of the internet and social media, it has become easier for anyone to publish "news" and more difficult for readers to identify fake news. "Fake news reports have caused damage to reputations and diminished trust, Cross said. The effect on the 2016 election is still being studied. Local news media scores better on trust than national news media, according to national studies," Doreen Dennis reports for SurfKY News in Madisonville, Ky. "BuzzFeed reported the top 20 fake stories received more engagement than 19 major media outlets in 2016, and the jury is still out on whether unverified news articles affected the election. Russia’s alleged involvement would be hard to prove at this point, he added."
Jennifer P. Brown, co-chair for the IRJCI and former editor of the Kentucky New Era in Hopkinsville, said readers could check any of the following sources to help verify whether a news story is truthful:
- http://www.opensecrets.org
- https://www.factcheck.org
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker
- https://www.politifact.com
- https://www.snopes.com
Mike Alexieff, the editor of The Messenger, said he wants readers to know that local newspapers don't have a political agenda, and only aim to offer fair, accurate local news. Ron Sanders, who owns Online SurfKY News Group, said he believes some newspapers do have a political bias, and defended clean coal and its minimal impact on the environment despite what he called biased media stories, Dennis reports.
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