Letter: View any news with some skepticism

Much in the news lately expressing grave concern over “fake news” and “disinformation” that gets disseminated through social media and the internet. The culprits? Right-wing folks of course, and those promoting “right wing” candidates.

However, the right has no monopoly on fake news. The left spins out fake news as well. A major recent example is “Hands up, don’t shoot.” Turns out Ferguson’s Michael Brown did not have his hands up before being shot. “Hands up” was fiction that went viral and quickly became reported as fact by mainstream media.

Don’t believe it’s fiction? Google the “Department of Justice Report Concerning the Criminal Investigation Into the Shooting Death of Michael Brown by Ferguson, Missouri Police Officer Darren Wilson.” Other examples are Rolling Stone’s Virginia Tech rape article, later thoroughly discredited but only after its fictional accounts were widely reported as fact, and the false Duke lacrosse team rape allegations.

Bottom line, any reported news — whether from blogs, social media, mainstream media, left-wing or right-wing sources — should be viewed with some skepticism. Ask yourself, who wrote it, what’s it based on, and what relevant contrary information might be conveniently missing from the report?

This story was originally published January 3, 2017 at 2:55 AM with the headline "Letter: View any news with some skepticism."