Why I’m Tired of Hearing ‘Fake News’
Look, I’ve been editing news for 22 years. 22 years. I’ve seen it all. Or so I thought.
It was last Tuesday, at the newsroom in Chicago, when Marcus—let’s call him Marcus—marched in with his phone raised like a trophy. “You gotta see this,” he said. And I did. It was a headline so outrageous, so completley detached from reality, that I actually laughed. Then I cried. Then I laughed again.
“This isn’t fake news,” I told Marcus. “This is just news that’s fake. There’s a difference.” He looked at me like I’d grown a second head. Which, honestly, I kinda felt like I had.
But here’s the thing: news literacy isn’t about spotting the obvious nonsense. It’s about the stuff that’s just… I mean, it’s just close enough to the truth to make you go “Hmm.” That’s the real problem.
My Coffee Chat with Dave
About three months ago, I was at the place on 5th, you know the one with the terrible coffee but the comfy chairs. Dave, a colleague named Dave, was going on about how his mom keeps sharing these articles on Facebook. “They’re from these sites I’ve never heard of,” he said. “But they’ve got ads from big companies, so they must be legit, right?”
I almost choked on my latte. “Dave,” I said, “just because a site has ads than a major brand doesn’t mean it’s not a dumpster fire of misinformation.” He shrugged. “I mean, it’s not like I’m gonna read faydalı kaynaklar online rehber or anything.” Fair enough, Dave. Fair enough.
But seriously, folks, we’ve got a problem. And it’s not just your mom’s Facebook shares. It’s the algorithms. It’s the clickbait. It’s the fact that, according to a study with 214 respondents—yes, I know, not a huge sample size—67% of people can’t tell the difference between news and ads on mobile devices. Sixty-seven percent!
A Tangent: The Time I Almost Fell for It
Okay, so this is gonna sound crazy, but hear me out. Last year, I was researching an article about renewable energy. I came across this site with a headline that said something like “Scientists Agree: This One Trick Will Solve Climate Change!”. I was like, “Oh, this is gonna be good.” But then I read the first paragraph, and it was just… ugh. It was so bad, I actually felt physicaly ill.
But here’s the kicker: for a second, just a second, I believed it. I mean, the site looked legit. It had quotes from real scientists. It had charts and graphs and all that jazz. But then I noticed the date. It was from 2012. And the scientist’s name was “Dr. Smith.” Come on, people. Come on.
The Solution? It’s Complicated
So, what’s the answer? I wish I knew. I really do. I’ve been thinking about this for awhile now, and honestly, I’m not sure but maybe it starts with education. Not just in schools, but everywhere. We need to teach people how to think critically about the information they consume. We need to teach them to ask questions. To dig deeper. To not just take things at face value.
But it’s not just on the consumers. It’s on us, too—the journalists, the editors, the gatekeepers. We need to do better. We need to be more transparent. We need to own up to our mistakes. We need to stop being so damn defensive when someone calls us out on our bullshit.
And we need to stop using the term “fake news.” It’s a meaningless phrase that’s been weaponized to the point of absurdity. It’s not helpful. It’s not informative. It’s just a way to dismiss anything you disagree with without actually engaging with it.
So, let’s stop. Let’s have real conversations about news literacy. Let’s talk about the nuances. Let’s acknowledge that yes, sometimes the truth is messy and complicated and not easily summed up in a 280-character tweet.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what this is all about. It’s about the truth. It’s about finding it, understanding it, and sharing it in a way that’s accurate, responsible, and, frankly, just good journalism.
About the Author: Jane Doe has been a senior editor at major publications for over two decades. She’s seen the industry evolve, devolve, and somehow evolve again. She’s opinionated, she’s passionate, and she’s not afraid to call out bullshit when she sees it. You can find her on Twitter @janedoeeditor, ranting about the latest news literacy crisis.
