Pope Francis: What is fake about fake news?

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Pope Francis: What is fake about fake news?

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Pope Francis recently gave an address called What is “fake” about fake news?

REQUEST: Let's please discuss this without falling into the trap that the Pope is warning about. Any response that says "yeah, those guys are the fake news guys, not my side" is a pretty clear indication that you are doing precisely what he is warning against.

There are some parts of his address that I am uncomfortable with, particularly this subtitle:
“The truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32). Fake news and journalism for peace”
I don't think we should confuse accurate facts with the kind of truth Jesus was talking about in John 8:32. But on the whole, I agree with the substance of what he said. Particularly this:
  1. Fake news often operates by appealing to stereotypes and prejudices and playing on feelings like anxiety, contempt, anger, and frustration. People believe fake news because they are prepared to feel these things, not because it is true. The harm of fake news is not only that we believe untruths, but that we beat each other up and cannot look at facts together.
  2. Hoaxes are widely believed, and can drown out real information.
  3. Disinformation thrives when people with different opinions cannot sit down and look at the facts together.
I particularly like this quote:
Pope Francis wrote:The tragedy of disinformation is that it discredits others, presenting them as enemies, to the point of demonizing them and fomenting conflict. Fake news is a sign of intolerant and hypersensitive attitudes, and leads only to the spread of arrogance and hatred. That is the end result of untruth.
And that's where it becomes a spiritual issue. We need to be able to say "this isn't true" or "that's not the kind of thing you find in the scientific literature" or "can we look at these facts together" without being offended. If I think it's true and you think it's false, we need to be able to (1) let it go or (2) look at the facts together to understand them. And we can't pursue truth together if I get offended if someone questions the facts I present. Truth is a patient, collaborative process.

Here's the first section of his address.
Pope Francis wrote:The term “fake news” has been the object of great discussion and debate. In general, it refers to the spreading of disinformation on line or in the traditional media. It has to do with false information based on non-existent or distorted data meant to deceive and manipulate the reader. Spreading fake news can serve to advance specific goals, influence political decisions, and serve economic interests.

The effectiveness of fake news is primarily due to its ability to mimic real news, to seem plausible. Secondly, this false but believable news is “captious”, inasmuch as it grasps people’s attention by appealing to stereotypes and common social prejudices, and exploiting instantaneous emotions like anxiety, contempt, anger and frustration. The ability to spread such fake news often relies on a manipulative use of the social networks and the way they function. Untrue stories can spread so quickly that even authoritative denials fail to contain the damage.

The difficulty of unmasking and eliminating fake news is due also to the fact that many people interact in homogeneous digital environments impervious to differing perspectives and opinions. Disinformation thus thrives on the absence of healthy confrontation with other sources of information that could effectively challenge prejudices and generate constructive dialogue; instead, it risks turning people into unwilling accomplices in spreading biased and baseless ideas. The tragedy of disinformation is that it discredits others, presenting them as enemies, to the point of demonizing them and fomenting conflict. Fake news is a sign of intolerant and hypersensitive attitudes, and leads only to the spread of arrogance and hatred. That is the end result of untruth.
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Is it biblical? Is it Christlike? Is it loving? Is it true? How can I find out?
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