The epidemic of “fake news” is apparently so contagious it has spread to India. Ravi Prasad, the country’s Electronics and Information Technology Minister, claimed India is “helpless” in combating “objectionable content.” The Indian government has even threatened to jail people responsible for spreading that content.
Of course, the United States is not so overzealous, but it seems we are moving in that unfortunate direction. Ever since President Trump rightly weaponized that epithet against the mainstream media — as he did at a recent rally in Ohio — the establishment media and entrenched politicos have used “fake news” to delegitimize political speech with which they disagree.
House Democrats have scolded the president for “disseminating stories from dubious sources” and relying on “false reports.” The New York Times repeatedly admonishes Fox News’ Sean Hannity and other conservative commentators for engaging in “conspiracy theories.” Meanwhile, The Washington Post has made it a priority to teach readers how to identify fake news, however overblown the epidemic may be.
But Democrats and their media allies are not the only ones to blame. Establishment Republicans similarly weaponize the “fake” designation to delegitimize conservative outsiders, branding nontraditional voices as the political fringe to solidify their insider status.
Read more at Inside Sources.
