This year turns out to be the biggest for "fake news" as many writers released incorrect or made-up stories, most aimed at the White House, finds Grumpy Editor.
Could it stem from some offending writers graduating with a political science rather than a journalism background?
A constant barrage of fake news or dopey news continues to make headlines. An example of dopey news: The mighty New York Times, on a day when Congress was kicking around a capital gains tax hike that would affect thousands of Times readers, it came up with a startling revelation that President Donald Trump drinks a dozen cans of Diet Coke each day.
Other than a hearty free plug for the Coca-Cola Co. and similar drinkers, who cares?
A few days ago the president tweeted that over the weekend there were six attacks on what he called fake news, saying the "out of control" media issues purposely false and defamatory stories.
Media members such as CNN's Jim Acosta call the misinformation "honest mistakes."
At a White House press briefing, press secretary Sarah Sanders responded, "There's a very big difference between honest mistakes and purposely misleading the American people."
Photos also have been misleading.
Latest example: The Washington Post ran a deceptive picture on the number of attendees at a Trump rally in Florida. It was snapped while people were waiting outside. A Post reporter apologized --- after the president demanded an apology.
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, communications professor and director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, told Associated Press writer David Bauder that news organizations corrected themselves but fell short in explanations.
“When a mistake is made, the public really needs to understand why it was made and what corrections have been put in place to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” she added.
IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...
TWO WORDS OF THE YEAR. Oxford University Press, publisher of Oxford dictionaries, named "youthquake" its top word for 2017 while Merriam-Webster dictionary announced “feminism” as its top word of the year. Youthquake is defined as "a significant cultural, political or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people.” Oxford added youthquake also has the potential "as a word of cultural significance." Merriam-Webster in naming “feminism” as its word of 2017, said the term was driven by women’s marches, new TV shows and films on women's issues plus a string of news stories on sexual assault and harassment claims. The dictionary defines feminism as "the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes.”
DOW CONTINUES UPWARD MARCH. Dow Jones Industrial Average on Friday reached 24651.74, notching a new high on the upward path toward 25000, putting the year-to-date advance at 25 percent. In today's close, the Dow set another record, up 140.46 points to 24792.20.
DON’T MENTION GLOBAL WARMING HERE. Winter hasn’t officially arrived, but in Redfield, N.Y., the Oswego County town already has received 82.6 inches of snow.
COVERAGE CALLED MEDIA MALPRACTICE. Interviewed by Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, Stephen F. Cohen, a contributing editor at The Nation, criticized the Washington Post, the New York Times and others, stating he has "never seen media malpractice" like the establishment press's year-long effort to breathe life into what he insists has been a completely ginned-up claim that Russia tried to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
CAVUTO TO DEBUT SATURDAY PROGRAM. Fox Business Network anchor Neil Cavuto will host a two-hour program --- "Cavuto Live” --- on Fox News Channel starting Jan. 20. Cavuto and a panel of experts will focus on headlines impacting business and politics.
MARGARINE, SPREADS BUSINESS SOLD. Unilever is selling its margarine and spreads business to KKR & Co. for $8.1 billion as it focuses on faster-growing food and personal-care niches. It’s the biggest leveraged buyout announced in Europe this year.
EMPLOYEES BUY THEIR DAILY NEWSPAPER. A group of employees at the Prince Albert Daily Herald in Canada reached a deal to purchase the publication from Alberta-based Star News Publishing and run it as an independent newspaper. The employees said they’re pleased to return the Herald to its roots as an independent, locally owned and operated news outlet.
A SOLID MENTAL CASE. A homeless man told police in Olathe, Kan. that he dismembered his wife in a Missouri hotel room then slept in a Kansas storage unit with her remains and their two children is headed to a mental hospital. He's also charged in the death of a California man whose body hasn't been found, said authorities.
NEW ADULT GETS BIG WELCOME TO LAS VEGAS. Aidan Gilbert of Arizona celebrated his 21st birthday by winning $426,840 while playing Wheel of Fortune at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Along with his father and friends, Gilbert stopped at The Cosmo soon after dropping off luggage and headed for the machine. It was his first visit to Sin City as an adult.
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