Fake news knows no boundaries, as we see this week. That didn't take long. The rumors and conspiracy theories about the appalling elementary school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, started just as soon as bullets stopped flying. Before authorities had even identified the shooter, there was wild speculation that he was an illegal immigrant, that he … Continue reading Fake News for the Week Ending May 27, 2022
Let's get right to it. Last week I wrote about the DHS' new Disinformation Governance Board, designed to counter disinformation about elections and other major events. The Board itself became the victim of disinformation from conservatives who compared it to Orwell's Ministry of Truth and claimed it only existed to silence right-wing voices. Well, the … Continue reading Fake News for the Week Ending May 20, 2022
It's Friday the 13th and fake news isn't limited to the United States—it's a worldwide phenomenon. In the Philippines, there's an upcoming election and the spread of disinformation in the campaign is staggering. Some of it is spread by "social media marketing consultants" who manage hundreds of troll accounts spreading lies and fictions about opposing … Continue reading Fake News for the Week Ending May 13, 2022
There's a lot of news about fake news this week, so let's get to it. The Department of Homeland Security announced a Disinformation Governance Board to counter Russian disinformation as well as misleading information that human smugglers circulate to target migrants hoping to travel to the U.S. Right-wingers immediately criticized the new board, claiming it … Continue reading Fake News for the Week Ending May 6, 2022
The fake news continues, in its normal dribs and drabs. A majority (61%) of Americans say that misinformation about the Ukraine war, primarily spread by Russia, is a major problem. The AP has the details. In a rebuke to schools' efforts to accept and accommodate LGBTQ, trans, and gender-fluid students, Republican politicians across the country … Continue reading Fake News for the Week Ending April 29, 2022
Another week, another batch of fake news news. The truth is often a victim during wartime, and Russia's war in Ukraine proves that true. Russia's domestic propaganda machine is working overtime to the extent that most Russian citizens have no idea what's going on in the neighboring country. Business Insider has the story. Fake news … Continue reading Fake News for the Week Ending April 22, 2022
What's happening in fake news this week? Let's take a look. The fake news news doesn't always have to be deadly serious. Witness the Birds Aren't Real conspiracy theory, which isn't really a conspiracy theory but is presented as such. It's really kind of real-world performance art or just a big joke, even though it … Continue reading Fake News for the Week Ending April 15, 2022
It's a mixed bag of fake news news this week, with the now-normal emphasis on Ukrainian-related disinformation. Here's encouraging news. Readers of my blog or book know that Fox News and other right-wing media are major disseminators of fake news, conspiracy theories, and other forms of disinformation about COVID-19, the 2020 presidential election, and other … Continue reading Fake News for the Week Ending April 8, 2022
Yes, it's April Fool's day, but fake news is no joke, although I wish it could be. (And it's not all about Russia and Ukraine this week!) Greg Locke, a Pentecostal pastor in Tennessee, is using his pulpit to spread fake news about COVID-19, Donald Trump, and the Big Lie about 2020 election fraud to … Continue reading Fake News for the Week Ending April 1, 2022
More propaganda, disinformation, and fake news coming from the war in Ukraine. That's what happens during wartime. Russia is flooding the social media (and, within its borders, the real state-owned media) with all sorts of disinformation about its "special military operation" in Ukraine. What is the goal of this disinformation campaign? It might not be … Continue reading Fake News for the Week Ending March 25, 2022
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