Editor: Vladimir Bajic | Tactical Investor
Sensationalism in the Media Today: The Rise of Fake News
In the lead-up to the U.S. presidential election, the media landscape was rife with fake news, as false stories about both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump spread like wildfire across social media platforms. These stories didn’t just paint the candidates in an unflattering light; they pushed narratives that fueled deep divides in public opinion, leaving many questioning the integrity of the information they consumed.
The issue has only worsened since then. A shocking example unfolded on December 4, when a gunman walked into the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria in Washington, D.C., and opened fire, citing a baseless conspiracy theory as his motivation. He believed, falsely, that Hillary Clinton and her aide John Podesta were running a sex ring out of the restaurant’s non-existent basement—a claim that fake news outlets had perpetuated. This terrifying incident serves as a chilling reminder of how dangerous misinformation can become when people buy into sensational and unfounded stories.
Fast-forward to a tweet from the U.S. president-elect condemning fake news on the heels of the shooting. Yet, in a glaring irony, the same individual has used social media to amplify false narratives. Trump’s administration has been no stranger to disseminating fake news, with his closest advisor, Steve Bannon, having once been the chair of Breitbart News, a site notorious for publishing stories rife with factual inaccuracies and misleading content.
The role of the media in this climate is under intense scrutiny. As figures like Hadley Freeman and Owen Jones of The Guardian and Mirren Gidda of Newsweek have pointed out, the fight against fake news is not just about fact-checking—it’s about confronting the rise of the right-wing press, which has increasingly dominated the narrative. In a world where sensationalism and clickbait reign supreme, the lines between truth and fabrication are becoming dangerously blurred, and the consequences are impossible to ignore.
Sensationalism In The Media Today: The Question Is Why?
“2017 was a year which saw the truth — objective, empirical, evidence-based truth — more battered and abused than any other in the history of our country, at the hands of the most powerful figure in our government,” U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake said in a Senate speech on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, fellow Arizonan John McCain wrote in a Washington Post commentary headlined “Mr. President, stop attacking the Press” that former President Ronald Reagan “recognized that as leader of the free world, his words carried enormous weight, and he used them to inspire the unprecedented spread of democracy around the world.”
That spread has reversed in recent years, according to a sobering report released this week by Freedom House, a self-described independent watchdog organization dedicated to expanding freedom and democracy worldwide.
“Political rights and civil liberties around the world deteriorated to their lowest point in more than a decade in 2017, extending a period characterized by emboldened autocrats, beleaguered democracies and the United States’ withdrawal from its leadership role in the global struggle for human freedom,” the report, “Freedom in the World 2018,” starkly states. “Democracy is in crisis,” it continues. “The values it embodies — particularly the right to choose leaders in free and fair elections, freedom of the press, and the rule of law — are under assault and in retreat globally.” Full Story
Examples of Sensationalism In The Media Today
- Alien Bible Found, They Worship Oprah
- Man’s 174-mph Sneeze Blows Wife’s Hair Off
- Teen’s Hair Changes Color … With her Mood!
- Supreme Court Judges are Naked Under Robes!
- Chain-smoker Kicks 30-year Habit … Then Chokes to Death on Wad of Nicotine Gum!
- Dolphin Grows Human Arms
- Man Gives Birth to a Healthy Baby Boy
- Abraham Lincoln was a Woman
- Jesus Action Figure Heals the Sick
- Half of U.S. hookers are space aliens – and they don’t have sex organs!
- Man makes $60,000 a year as human lawn jockey
- Nazi UFOs to Attack U.S.
- Snake with Human Head Found in Arkansas
- News Reporter Eaten Alive by 80-Ft Dinosaur
- Man’s Head Explodes in Barber’s Chair
- Is Your Cat from Mars? Full Story
