FAKE: The popularity of fake “news” shows no sign of slowing down.
By Cassandra Navarro, Staff Writer
Fake news has dominated the newscasting scene in recent weeks. It began with simple interview answers distorted or minor false allegations against an exposed person in the media. In its nascent stages, this could be attributed to classic statistical manipulation. But as the influence of social media platforms likes Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat grows, so does the expanse of fake news audiences, which contributes to a larger society influenced by factually incorrect information.
Eric Tucker, co-founder of Pocketmath – self-described as the world’s fastest self-serve mobile advertising platform – illustrated the devastating impact fake news has on the flow of information. During the campaigning period for the 2016 Presidential election, Democratic and Republican supporters were on high alert for any sliver of information that could potentially expose unpopular information on the two political candidates: Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Tucker only had 40 followers on Twitter when he posted a tweet claiming that buses piled with paid anti-Trump protesters were sent to Trump demonstrations and rallies. Tucker assumed that a trail of buses near a Trump campaign were connected to the rally, and he fabricated a story without any factual basis. No reporting was completed, but his accusation spread like wildfire, earning over 16,000 retweets and close to 350,000 shares on Facebook. Tucker himself offered only a flimsy excuse for his dishonesty. “I did think in the back of my mind there could be other explanations, but it just didn’t seem plausible,” Tucker said in an interview regarding the tweet. “I’m also a very busy businessman and I don’t have time to fact-check everything at I put out there” Tucker continued. The article’s rapid popularity illustrates the devastating potential of people who publish based off of their own agenda, regardless of the facts.
President-Elect Donald Trump joined the controversy and fueled the now nationwide pandemonium. The false anti-Trump protesters accusation, at the time, was beneficial to his presidential campaign; the article implied that Hillary Clinton appear to be supporting such tactics, which was entirely not true. When fake news like this appears during elections, it is common for the candidates to use these stories to their advantage.
In November of 2016, Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager John Podesta was a victim of email hacking, and one of the emails, according to information posted by The New York Times, was between Podesta and James Alefantis, the owner of Comet Ping Pong Pizzeria in Washington D.C.. The emails apparently regarded a potential Clinton campaign held at the restaurant. These emails sparked a stream of rumors, accusing the Democratic Party of being linked with Comet Ping Pong. The situation quickly devolved into a spectacle, with particularly egregious accusations becoming the most popular. For example, the pizzeria was accused of being the home of a child sex ring run by Clinton and Podesta themselves. The outrageous rumor came from members of 4Chan – an almost entirely anonymous forum – who spoke out about the pizzeria’s basement – which does not even exist – stating that children were undoubtedly being enslaved by the “putrid” Democrats.
When Edgar Madison Welch found the conspiracy online, he made a rash decision to investigate the matter himself. Welch traveled to the pizzeria with an AR-15-style assault rifle and other deadly weapons, perhaps in hopes of liberating the unidentified children. He then bombarded the restaurant, provoking one of the workers before aimlessly firing his weapon. No one was reportedly injured by this incident, and Welch surrendered to the police. Dubbed “Pizzagate” by the media, this rumor escalated into an unnecessary turn of events that led to a violent confrontation. When questioned about his motive, Welch simply explained how the rumor was to blame.
The careless disregard for the truth almost contributed to a potentially deadly situation. Luckily, the shooting was stopped before any permanent damage occurred. But Welch’s story provides a precautionary tale of the dangers of fake news. Unstable individuals, armed with a supposedly damning article, can justify egregious actions. Welch is certainly not the only person who felt strongly about these unsubstantiated articles. In order to create a more informed society, information outlets and individuals must substantiate their claims.