Loomio
Fri 31 Aug 2018 7:04PM

Fake News

MB Mason Bee Public Seen by 88

What are peoples ideas for dealing with fake, misleading or advertorial news?

PRP

Pirate Radio Podcasts Mon 10 Sep 2018 2:37PM

READ 1984

DG

Daymond Goulder-Horobin Sun 30 Sep 2018 6:25AM

Ideally we would need to make sure that there are no blatant lies within the news, most of the policy already attempts to fight it.

Although we would need to emphasize consistency across all media outlets INCLUDING THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA.

MB

Mason Bee Sun 30 Sep 2018 7:12AM

I had forgotten about this. OK, mine were the creation of a self correcting system.

  • A news organisation must be registered.
  • Corrections must be printed on frount page.
  • News and other content must not be mixed.
  • Fines are applicable to both journalist, editor and business.
  • Proceeds of fines will be half used to fund a board to oversee factual content.
  • Proceeds of fines will half go to the member/members of public who bring the error to light.

Or something like that......actually, you could probably replace news with all factual content.

TB

Tom Booth Wed 17 Oct 2018 6:25AM

What constitutes "factual content" is not always straightforward, easily discernable, provable or apt to be agreed upon by members of any oversight committee without bias. Fines could be used as a form of censorship to stymie free speech. What constitutes "fake news" depends on whose side you're on, perception, belief system, political affiliation etc etc.

MB

Mason Bee Wed 17 Oct 2018 7:12AM

Actually, factual content is generally easy to identify. Interpretive content is the problem and while interpretive content is dependent on viewpoint it should not be misleading people with that viewpoint.

GA

Geoff Anderson Thu 1 Nov 2018 7:33PM

I think the words ‘fake news’ mislead, & are a small part of the problem which is “Propaganda”.
Presenting of stories that affect the country and our world view are the ones that matter not the home blogger with a unusual / false opinion as they have little influence and we can make our own opinions about them.
This narrows down the areas to pay attention to.
Warmongering, new laws, national trade, health, housing and education are important especially when presented as authoritative views.
Propaganda includes suppression of other views, straw-man arguments, un-named sources, mixing paid advertising in with other stories…etc.
The policy needs to be against propaganda and the abuse to the current laws and current immunity of those law breakers.
I’ll go further: Creating policies or new laws in the current environment will fail against those who currently control. Identify the target and prosecute them for the laws they have already broken and then the problem with fake news will probably go away.