Oliver Darcy / Business Insider:
A fake news problem is emerging among left-leaning media outlets as they jump on thin or false stories that reinforce a political point or play into a narrative
It was the latest in a trend of left-leaning media outlets running with a story riddled with misinformation, incidentally walking into a “fake news” trap they have vigorously cautioned against since President-elect Donald Trump won the November election.
Since Trump’s unexpected victory over Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee for president, many in the media have focused on the prevalence of “fake news” and how it could have swayed some individuals to vote for the Republican businessman.
Conservatives have met the narrative with extreme skepticism. They argue that, while not fabricated out of thin air, much of the news reported by the so-called mainstream media is inaccurate or, as they characterize it, its own form of “fake news.”
“We need left criticism of mainstream assumptions now more than ever,” Flaherty said. “I just don’t want the information underpinning it to be untrue.”
‘Chasing the viral dragon’
Not everyone is convinced, however, that the aforementioned examples of misinformation were driven by ideology. Instead, the other view goes, the misleading stories were the natural result of today’s fast-paced news environment in which news outlets are competing with others for clicks and shares.
‘Facts are secondary’
If a story fits the preferred narrative, they say, the story is treated with far less skepticism and allowed to pass through into the ether. If it doesn’t, it undergoes a vigorous fact-checking process that waters down its claims.
“False stories on Facebook are worrisome,” Maggie Gallagher recently wrote for National Review, the nation’s premier conservative magazine, “but the mainstream media’s own distortion of truth is worse.”
U.S. officials told the press that Russia hacked into the country’s electric grid, but the affected utility said it had only found malware on one device that was not connected to the grid.
The Washington Post on Saturday cited anonymous U.S. officials claiming that Russian hackers breached the electric grid. The article, titled “Russian hackers penetrated U.S. electric grid through a utility in Vermont,” led to several politicians making alarming statements on Russia and hackers.
The Vermont utility referenced by The Washington Post, the Burlington Electric Department, published a statement refuting the claims.
“There is no indication that either our electric grid or customer information has been compromised,” the Vermont utility stated. “Media reports stating that Burlington Electric was hacked or that the electric grid was breached are false.”
Federal officials have indicated that the specific type of Internet traffic, related to recent malicious cyber activity that was reported by us yesterday, also has been observed elsewhere in the country and is not unique to Burlington Electric. It’s unfortunate that an official or officials improperly shared inaccurate information with one media outlet, leading to multiple inaccurate reports around the country.
we want our community to know that there is no indication that either our electric grid or customer information has been compromised. Media reports stating that Burlington Electric was hacked or that the electric grid was breached are false.
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4 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Glenn Greenwald / The Intercept:
WaPo’s inaccurate story claiming Russians hacked US electric grid, weeks after debunked Russian propaganda post, is reminiscent of pre-Iraq war fearmongering — The Washington Post on Friday reported a genuinely alarming event: Russian hackers have penetrated the U.S. power system through an electrical grid in Vermont.
https://theintercept.com/2016/12/31/russia-hysteria-infects-washpost-again-false-story-about-hacking-u-s-electric-grid/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Oliver Darcy / Business Insider:
A fake news problem is emerging among left-leaning media outlets as they jump on thin or false stories that reinforce a political point or play into a narrative
The left’s emerging ‘fake news’ problem
http://www.businessinsider.com/fake-news-left-liberal-problem-2016-12?op=1&r=US&IR=T&IR=T
It was the latest in a trend of left-leaning media outlets running with a story riddled with misinformation, incidentally walking into a “fake news” trap they have vigorously cautioned against since President-elect Donald Trump won the November election.
Since Trump’s unexpected victory over Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee for president, many in the media have focused on the prevalence of “fake news” and how it could have swayed some individuals to vote for the Republican businessman.
Conservatives have met the narrative with extreme skepticism. They argue that, while not fabricated out of thin air, much of the news reported by the so-called mainstream media is inaccurate or, as they characterize it, its own form of “fake news.”
“We need left criticism of mainstream assumptions now more than ever,” Flaherty said. “I just don’t want the information underpinning it to be untrue.”
‘Chasing the viral dragon’
Not everyone is convinced, however, that the aforementioned examples of misinformation were driven by ideology. Instead, the other view goes, the misleading stories were the natural result of today’s fast-paced news environment in which news outlets are competing with others for clicks and shares.
‘Facts are secondary’
If a story fits the preferred narrative, they say, the story is treated with far less skepticism and allowed to pass through into the ether. If it doesn’t, it undergoes a vigorous fact-checking process that waters down its claims.
“False stories on Facebook are worrisome,” Maggie Gallagher recently wrote for National Review, the nation’s premier conservative magazine, “but the mainstream media’s own distortion of truth is worse.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vermont Utility Refutes Reports of Russia Hacking U.S. Electric Grid
http://www.securityweek.com/vermont-utility-refutes-reports-russia-hacking-us-electric-grid
U.S. officials told the press that Russia hacked into the country’s electric grid, but the affected utility said it had only found malware on one device that was not connected to the grid.
The Washington Post on Saturday cited anonymous U.S. officials claiming that Russian hackers breached the electric grid. The article, titled “Russian hackers penetrated U.S. electric grid through a utility in Vermont,” led to several politicians making alarming statements on Russia and hackers.
The Vermont utility referenced by The Washington Post, the Burlington Electric Department, published a statement refuting the claims.
“There is no indication that either our electric grid or customer information has been compromised,” the Vermont utility stated. “Media reports stating that Burlington Electric was hacked or that the electric grid was breached are false.”
Burlington Electric Department Statement: No Indication that Electric Grid or Customer Information Compromised
https://www.burlingtonelectric.com/news/3910/Burlington-Electric-Department-Statement%3A-No-Indication-that-Electric-Grid-or-Customer-Information-Compromised
Federal officials have indicated that the specific type of Internet traffic, related to recent malicious cyber activity that was reported by us yesterday, also has been observed elsewhere in the country and is not unique to Burlington Electric. It’s unfortunate that an official or officials improperly shared inaccurate information with one media outlet, leading to multiple inaccurate reports around the country.
we want our community to know that there is no indication that either our electric grid or customer information has been compromised. Media reports stating that Burlington Electric was hacked or that the electric grid was breached are false.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Related posting:
Fake news on electrical grid hacking
http://www.epanorama.net/newepa/2016/12/31/russian-operation-hacked-a-vermont-utility-showing-risk-to-u-s-electrical-grid-security-officials-say/