[...] what exactly is "fake news" and what effect is it having globally?
"I think there is a fundamental problem that fake news became a catch-all term to mean anything that we don't particularly like to read," explained Alexios Mantzarlis, who heads the international fact-checking network at the Poynter Institute.
[...] Renate Schroeder, director of the European Federation of Journalists, said countries "should be extremely prudent" and seek to balance freedom of expression and freedom of the press with combating hate speech and fake news.
Any effort to regulate social media should not go too far, either, since it can lead to censorship, she said.
"Our view is [that] to fight such propaganda, to fight such fake news, we need to invest in journalism. We need to invest in media pluralism. We need to invest in media literacy," Schroeder told Al Jazeera.
[...] Only 32 percent of people in the US said they had a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in the media "to report the news fully, accurately and fairly" in 2016, according to a Gallup poll. That is the lowest level recorded in Gallup polling history – the question has been asked annually since 1997 – and eight points lower than in 2015.
Trust in media declined overall across all EU countries in 2015, a European Broadcasting Union survey also reported.
Mantzarlis of the Poynter Institute said that to fight the fake news phenomenon, journalists should promote greater transparency in their work, and develop a robust corrections policy when mistakes do occur.
That may include "making [corrections] more detailed, explaining why the error was made, who made it within the newsroom, and how exactly the existing procedures failed," he said.
Schroeder added that the focus on fake news could potentially serve as a catalyst to reinvigorate the field of journalism.
Idea #3: Stop helping politicians cheat at debates. Idea #4: Stop reprinting corporate press releases as 'news.' Idea #5: Stop shilling.
Your ideas, Soylent?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 25 2017, @09:35PM
> It is neither, it is the typical pattern.
If that is the typical pattern, surely you can dig up at least two more examples?
Right?
Beuller?
Meanwhile, here is a list of times when snopes found positively for the conservative world-view, just over a period of about 4 months:
Oops, looks like the list is too long for soylent to accept, so here's all that would fit, I had to cut out more than half:
FACT CHECK: Does Russia Have 'Kompromat' on Jason Chaffetz? [snopes.com]
Trump 'Bullies' Boy by Tossing Hat at Easter Egg Roll? [snopes.com]
FACT CHECK: Did Sen. Jeff Flake State Solar Energy Can't Power "Lights [at] Night"? [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Profit from the U.S. Missile Strike Against Syria? [snopes.com]
White House Admits Syria Missile Attack Was a Publicity Stunt to Make Trump Look Good? [snopes.com]
FACT CHECK: Is President Donald Trump Considering Resignation? [snopes.com]
Did Democrats Tweet an Altered Version of a Socialist Party Poster? [snopes.com]
Did Tom Price Say It Is 'Better for Our Budget If Cancer Patients Die More Quickly'? [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Announce Plans to End the 'Meals on Wheels' Program? [snopes.com]
FACT CHECK: Is Sean Spicer Wearing Mismatched Shoes? [snopes.com]
Did Jeff Guice Say 'Sick Children Should Die If Their Parents Can’t Afford Medical Supplies'? [snopes.com]
Sean Spicer Handed Mid-Briefing Note Saying, “You Just Committed a Felony”? [snopes.com]
Ben Carson and the 'Nut of the Mind' [snopes.com]
FACT CHECK: Is the GOP's Obamacare Replacement Called 'World's Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017'? [snopes.com]
FACT CHECK: Did Betsy DeVos Say History Textbooks Should Be Based on the Bible? [snopes.com]
Did Paul Ryan Say Women Who Use Birth Control Are Committing Murder? [snopes.com]
Trump Wants to Deport American Indians to India? [snopes.com]
FACT CHECK: Lot Reserved for Future Internment Camp? [snopes.com]
Mike Pence Promises to Create the Department of Anti-Witchcraft? [snopes.com]
FACT CHECK: Did Ivana Trump Claim the President is 'Addicted' to Penis Enlargement Pills? [snopes.com]
FACT CHECK: Were President Trump's Sons Detained at Vancouver Airport over Ties with Fascist Dictator? [snopes.com]
FACT CHECK: Did Tucker Carlson Hire an Actor When He Couldn't Book Protest Organizers? [snopes.com]
FACT CHECK: Did Pat Robertson Say 'Staring' at Melania Trump 'Can Heal Gays'? [snopes.com]
FACT CHECK: Trump Billing Michelle Obama For $11 Billion? [snopes.com]
FACT CHECK: Did President Nixon Say Watergate Details Were 'Illegally' Leaked by Deep Throat? [snopes.com]
FACT CHECK: Has the Process to Impeach President Donald Trump Begun? [snopes.com]
Did President Donald Trump Ban 'Full Face' Veils? [snopes.com]
FACT CHECK: Betsy DeVos Said '40 Percent' Means 'More Than Half'? [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Refuse to Give Federal Aid to California Because of the State's Sanctuary Cities? [snopes.com]
Was Donald Trump Seen at a Swiss Resort with Vladimir Putin Before the Election? [snopes.com]
Did President Obama Deport More People Than Any Other President? [snopes.com]
George H.W. Bush Death Hoax [snopes.com]
Did Trump Call Trudeau 'Leader of the Igloo People?' [snopes.com]
Secret Service Adds 'Emotional Protection Division' for President Trump? - Snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Ban 'Sharia Law' in the U.S.? - Snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Betsy DeVos Demand That Classroom Globes Be Flattened? - Snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Fire White House Butler Cecil Gaines? - Snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Make English the U.S. Official Language? - Snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did the NAACP Give Jeff Sessions an 'Award of Excellence'? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Vice President Mike Pence Lament That God Never Asked Him to Sacrifice His Children? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Enact a 90-Day Ban on Childhood Vaccinations? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
National Prayer Breakfast Remarks: President Trump vs. President Obama : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Steve Bannon Describe Himself as a 'Leninist' Who Wants to Destroy the State? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did White House Staff Disable Recording of a Call Between Presidents Trump and Putin? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Sign an Executive Order Naming Himself the Popular Vote Winner? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Neil Gorsuch Push for the 'Separation of the White and Black Races'? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
President Trump Eased Sanctions Against Russia's Intelligence Agency As a 'Present' to Putin? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Remove White Supremacists from the Terror Watch Program? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
President Trump Renamed 'Black History Month' to 'African-American History Month'? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Neil Gorsuch Found a High School 'Fascism Forever' Club? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Does a Photograph Depict a 5-Year-Old Syrian Girl Handcuffed at Dulles Airport? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Police Raid and Burn a Standing Rock Protest Camp? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
President Trump Filed for Re-Election Early to Stop Political Speech of Nonprofits? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Donald Trump Sign an Executive Order on Climate Change? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Was Neil Gorsuch Unanimously Confirmed in 2006? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Was a Small Child Handcuffed at Dulles Airport Due to Entry Restrictions? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Replace Washington Portrait with Vigo the Carpathian? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did the President Sign an Order Prohibiting Emergency Room Visits for Colds? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Can the Queen Legally Kill President Trump with a Sword? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Does Steve Bannon Need a Senate Confirmation Hearing to Sit on the NSC? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Melania Trump's Grandmother was a Soviet Soldier? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Does President Donald Trump Plan to Make it Illegal to be Transgender? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Alter the United States Constitution? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Do Trump's Top Advisers Believe He is Misleading Them About Russian Blackmail? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Criticize Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Social Media Use? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Donald Trump's Campaign Unveil a Swastika-Like Logo? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did KellyAnne Conway Say Being Labeled Racist is 'a Small Price to Pay' for Making America Great Again? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Was Donald Trump’s Mother an Illegal Immigrant? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Order the Building of 'Concentration Camps'? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Women's March Speaker Donna Hylton Served Time for Murdering a Man : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Is Trump Planning on Killing PBS and NPR? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Dallas Art Teacher Suspended for Shooting a Water Gun at Image of President Trump : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Trump Photoshopped His Hands to Look Bigger in White House Photograph? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Is Chili's Donating 15 Percent of Every Sale to Planned Parenthood? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Trump Hang a Photograph of the Women's March at the White House? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Senior State Department Officials Resign as Trump Administration Takes Over : snopes.com [snopes.com]
D.C. Police Arrest Activist After James O'Keefe Video Sting : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Journalists Face Felony Charges After Arrests During Trump Inauguration Protests : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Insult Navajos on Twitter? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Kellyanne Conway's Inaugural Dress Copy a 1970s Simplicity Pattern? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Reverse President Obama's Turkey Pardons? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Secret Service Agent Kerry O'Grady Investigated for Anti-Trump Remarks : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Kellyanne Conway Get Into a Fistfight on Inauguration Day? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Trump Administration Reverses Course, Says EPA’s Climate Page Will Remain : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Winston Churchill on the Arts : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Was a Saturday Night Live Writer Suspended Over a Tweet About Barron Trump? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did U.S. President Donald Trump Declare Canadian Women the Biggest Threat After ISIS? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Lawmakers Criminalize Peaceful Protest? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Trump Administration Freezes EPA Grants, Limits Employee Access to the Press? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Trump Tweet That Drug Testing Will Be Mandatory for Public Benefit Recipients? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Shut Down the White House Phone-In Comment Line? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Protester Sets Trump Supporter's Hair on Fire : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Mike Pence Say Trump Supporters Made Up 'More Than Half' of Womens' March? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did President Trump Bring a Cheering Crowd with Him to Visit the CIA? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Is 'Snowflake' a Nazi Term That Was Used During the Holocaust? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Donald Trump Plagiarize His Inaugural Address from 'Bee Movie' and 'Avatar?' : snopes.com [snopes.com]
National Park Service Twitter Account Shut Down After Anti-Trump Retweets : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Was Mike Pence Disappointed in Men for Allowing the Women's March? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Donald Trump Remove a MLK Bust from the Oval Office? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Donald Trump Want Tanks and Missiles at His Inaugural Parade? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Photograph Shows Donald Trump at a KKK Cross Burning? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Highway Sign Urged Drivers to 'Consider Canada' Due to Inauguration Traffic? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Donald Trump Remove the Terms 'LGBT' and 'Climate Change' from the White House Web Site? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Russia Mint an 'In Trump We Trust' Coin? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Hampton United Methodist Church Mock Trump on its Sign? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Donald Trump Use a Receptionist's Desk and Notepad to Stage a Speechwriting Picture? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Was Vanilla Ice Cream Originally Black? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Is Paul Ryan Blocking All Calls and Faxes? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Is This Really Donald Trump's Inauguration Poem? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Rep. John Lewis Skip Any Previous Inaugurations? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did a Russian Prostitute Say Donald Trump Was Poorly Endowed? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Chris Collins Says John Lewis Is 'Like a Spoiled Chimp That Got Too Many Bananas'? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Was the U.S. Government Found Guilty of Assassinating Martin Luther King, Jr? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Donald Trump Advocate a 'No-Wash' Bathroom Trick in 'The Art of the Deal'? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Nicole Kidman Said Americans Should Support the President : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Obama Family Dog Reportedly Bites Visitor : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Did Donald Trump Revoke Press Credentials for Six News Outlets? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Does a Photograph Show a Palestinian Boy Getting Shot by Israeli Soldiers? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Sarah Palin Blames 'Mexican Muslim' Immigration for Fort Lauderdale Shooting? : snopes.com [snopes.com]
Trump Used Blank Sheets of Paper as Conflict-of-Interest Documents? : snopes.com [snopes.com]