How to solve the fake news problem

[Hahn_Bikey]

Calling all aspiring comedians: Come up with a creative, crazy left-wing conspiracy theory. Post it on Facebook. Make it look legit like other conspiracy theory posts. After Facebook is flooded with these, wait for one to go viral and picked up by right wing media. When it does, reveal the hoax and get some publicity for yourself.

Repeat.

Plus: Any of the other conspiracy theories getting toxic can be falsely claimed by a comedian to be their own hoax. The true originator wouldn’t dare out themselves and if it scares even a few people away from believing it, then it would have already served its purpose.

Even if none of these work, as long as Facebook is flooded with conspiracy theories self-revealed as a hoax, it might get at least a few people out there to think twice about believing everything they read.

[Sherman A1]

1. Turning off cable noise would be a

Good place to start.

[Grokenstein]

4. That's like telling Fat Freddy to just stop smoking weed.

What the OP's technique does is take away the appeal of the weed until Fat Freddy doesn't like it anymore.

[Sherman A1]

9. That may be the case

but it is far easier and likely more successful to just turn of the cable drama TV.

[Hahn_Bikey]

15. Unfortunately one doesn't have control over this outside of one's own family/

Trying to brainstorm over what to do about everyone else...

[Sherman A1]

18. Yup, but that is really all we can control at any point

[The Magistrate]

2. That's An Interesting Idea, Sir

Putting 'Poe's Law' to the acid test, so to speak.

Welcome to the forum.

[NewHendoLib]

3. Best idea... Turn it all off. We are 16 yrs TV free. No fake news here

[Sherman A1]

10. Still have our TV and enjoy it

but sure don't rely on any American news source beyond PBS & NPR.

[NewHendoLib]

13. We just watch movies using prime or Netflix. No TV of any sort

[Hahn_Bikey]

16. Wish we could do that for everyone

Yup! But unfortunately convincing everyone to do that won't happen anytime soon.
And of course there's still social media.
Given that we're stuck with it, I'm trying to brainstorm over what to do...

[NewHendoLib]

17. I've checked social media too

[Hahn_Bikey]

24. What I meant was that convincing everyone to turn off social media won't happen anytime soon either

[NewHendoLib]

26. No, it won't. All I can control is my own behavior. Meant "chucked"!

[unblock]

5. Love the creative thinking, but it wouldn't work.

The right wing won't care who started it. They'll call the left lunatics for believing it and making it trend.

They have a propaganda machine. They can twist any story to suit their needs.


The only thing that defeats them is defeat and humiliation. We need to laugh at them, we need to treat them as the losers they are.

[Hahn_Bikey]

19. Good point. I don't entirely disagree, but I'd like to think that...

... the righties cover a spectrum from the moderates to the off-the-wagon crazy. You're right regarding the latter. However, I'm hopeful that there are enough people more moderate who could still be swayed. We only need to convince just enough voters to secure a stronger majority in the senate so the dems can get things done. Just sitting around preaching to the choir and hoping that the progressive media can do this for us was a failed strategy that handed the dems the half-assed victory in the senate that's allowing Manchin and Sinema to wreak havoc.

[Beastly Boy]

6. This has a good chance of backfiring

Look at Trump. If he didn't start the anti-vaxx conspiracy theory, he was its most visible and active promoter. Until... he carelessly admitted that vaccines work. What happened? Did the anti-vaxxers feel embarrassed? Did any of them re-examine their insanity? No, just the opposite: they turned on Trump, and he had to backpedal.

Conspiracy theories tend to take on a life of their own. The indoctrinated would sooner burn people at the stake than admit they are stupid. Or even wrong.

[Hahn_Bikey]

20. Starting and promoting is the key difference

If he didn't start the anti-vaxx conspiracy theory, he was its most visible and active promoter.

But that's the key difference. He wasn't the starter. The starter has to out themselves to be effective. Other people pointing fingers at the starters is what's been tried and doesn't work. And although yes he was a very active promoter, I'd say that the entire right wing infrastructure has much more promotion power than him.

[Mr.Bill]

7. Sometimes it feels like

this is already being done.

[Binkie The Clown]

8. The flaw: "Reveal it as a hoax." Nobody will believe it's a hoax. Sorry. nt

[Hahn_Bikey]

21. Not sure I'd go as far as saying "nobody"

Certainly you're right that it won't be everybody... but we only need just enough voters to secure a stronger majority in the senate so the dems can get things done

[YP_Yooper]

11. Accountability

Wasn't my idea, but everyone should be held to account publicly for things said in the public - even online.

[Hahn_Bikey]

22. Right on. Fully agree. But the million-dollar question is: how?

[RainCaster]

12. Better yet, toss Faux News, OAN & Newsmax from the WH

They are "entertainment", not news. The space is needed for social distancing by professional news people.

[Hahn_Bikey]

25. True... but then we wouldn't get to see Psaki hand their own asses to them on a platter

[mwooldri]

14. Solve it Texas SB-8 style.

A state legislature passes an anti "fake news" law.

People could sue any person or media outlet that attracts a weekly audience of at least 10,000 people if said person/media outlet spreads "fake news".

That might encourage certain news outlets to get their facts straight.

[Hahn_Bikey]

23. Intresting.... how do they judge what's fake and what isn't?

... and how are they selecting the people who make those decisions? This could backfire badly if such committees got packed with wingnuts like what's happening with the courts