Selected reading from outside of the echo chamber
5 instances where fake news caused real tragedies
http://www.infowars.com/times-when-the-mainstream-media-created-fake-news-and-people-died-as-a-result/
The professor who generated the "hit list" of fake news sites.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-11-18/meet-leftist-professor-who-wrote-hit-list-fake-news-sites
Facebook, Twitter and Google are highly concerned by these new media wars. "Fake news sources" correctly predicted the US election results and the mood of the country. It was completely unfair since they weren't burdened with an agenda.
Their secret? Instead of using flawed polling methods and fabricating support for a pre-selected candidate, they reported objective facts:
Tens of thousands or people attending Trump rallies on a daily basis.
That the full broadcasts of Trump speeches (instead of the inflammatory sound bites) were actually quite inspiring.
Almost no one was attending HRC's sporadic rallies.
Well founded concerns about HRC's health and dubious financing practices.
The never-ending questions about her trustworthiness as a candidate and politician
Documented video evidence of DNC-paid troublemakers attacking Trump supporters and disrupting his rallies.
The scandals surrounding top-level DNC operators, how they do business and what they thought of their support base. All of which resulted in "real" resignations and dismissals.
The electorate then gradually turned off the evening news, discussed politics with their friends, and continued to read more "fake news" and real wikileaks.
To anyone with a working brain the outcome was obvious. People went out and voted for Trump.
All the while thinking:
Why is the MSM lying to us?
Why do they hate us so much?
Do they think we are stupid?
Now these same viewers are watching paid trouble-makers protest the election results by rioting in the streets.
Many skeptics (like me) insisted on cross-checking these "fake news sites" against MSM sources.
After clearing away the obviously barmy stuff, it soon became clear just how extensive, concerted, biased and distorted MSM election reporting actually was. The fake news sites also reported such anomalies. Thereby creating a self-perpetuating truth to reality loop.
As Oscar Wilde once said: "The truth is never pure and rarely simple".
AND TO MAKE IT EVEN WORSE, the "fake" news sites are now stealing the advertising clicks bought and paid for by these discredited MSM sites' advertisers. Oh, the irony........
All to the benefit of the fake news sites that permitted millions of people to see the actual Trump instead of the bogeyman caricature fabricated by the Democratic propaganda machine.
As Brexit and the Trump election victory now prove, both the educated and less-educated sheeple are waking up. Some are even becoming annoyed and vocal.
But most are quietly waiting for January 21st.
And yet, the scorned establishment continues to tell people what they should and shouldn't read.
Meanwhile, in the UK, they will soon be recording everything you read online (thanks to the newly passed Snoopers charter 2). I guess that way if the UK electorate strays too far off the reservation, it can be gently coaxed back by "proper" journalism (or water cannons).
Good luck with that.
As an objective observer, I think the dumbing-down process has failed completely or only worked on certain political elites and their mind-controlled followers.
IMHO, I don't see this ending well for the mainstream media outlets until they join the fringe and begin reporting real facts and news again.