“Fake news” and “alternative facts” thrive in the
social media era we are living in today. The amount of false information that
is spread on the web is astonishing. Fortunately, there are many reliable fact-checking websites helping us solve this growing problem.
Perhaps one of the most prominent fake news stories of
2016 was a hoax
claiming that former president Barack Obama signed
an executive order banning the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools. It was published by ABCNews.com.co, and gained so much
attention because it is a fake site made to look like ABC News.
From a young age the phrase “don’t believe everything you hear” was planted into my head. As years went on, and technology advanced, “don’t
believe everything you read on the internet” became the newest mantra. I made
sure to live by this, mostly because I don’t enjoy being embarrassed,
but more importantly, because I don’t enjoy being wrong. Little did I know, the next mantra to be planted in my head would be "don't believe everything you see."
I can still pinpoint the moment I realized I would have to start questioning everything I saw on the internet. I was in middle school and I shared a photo of a giant dog who was walking alongside a pony, which I
thought was completely amazing (and still do). I was proud of my discovery, until a fellow
classmate commented “obviously, this isn’t real.” It stung my ego for a quick
second, and then I immediately took the photo down before anybody else chimed in.
Nowadays, not only do we have to question what we read on the web, but also the images we see. It is getting harder and harder to distinguish between fact and fiction. I have always felt that images and videos serve as the
most honest evidence of experiences and events we have not
witnessed with our own eyes. But 2016 opened my eyes to a whole new world of fake images.
I’ll admit, there are plenty of fake photos that I
have found entertaining in the past few years, especially concerning the latest U.S
election.
 |
| Fake photo showing former U.S President Barack Obama touching First Lady Melania Trump's backside on the day of Donald Trump's inauguration. |
Although some photos are humorous, others can quickly cause harm to unexpected people. The New York Times disclosed an unbelievable story about Cameron Harris, a college graduate with an interest in politics, and a need for cash. Harris published this photo with the headline reading: “BREAKING: ‘Tens of thousands’ of fraudulent Clinton votes found in Ohio warehouse.” Harris edited the photograph slightly, hoping to make it more difficult for any suspicious users to find the original photograph.
On the surface, this doesn't look like such a harmful photo. But when we dig a little deeper we realize this photo alone could have sabotaged the U.S election. It would have not only destroyed Hilary Clinton's credibility, but also the credibility of the man in the photograph.
In a world full of fake news and photo's, we should take every measure possible to ensure we are distributing honest and important news.
