You are viewing a single comment's thread from:

RE: Fake News: The New Yellow Journalism

in #life7 years ago

Perhaps we should legislate against media outlets that spread fake news on purpose, or in another way try to disincentive it. I believe fake news is a threat to the proper functioning of a democracy.

A random idea I just had, which will probably be impossible to implement, but here goes. Why not, similar to how STEEM power works, give people voting power, depending on how much they know on a subject. Let's say there is a public vote, referendum, etc. and the voting matter is a scientific subject, then I believe the vote of a scientiest should have more voting power than that of someone who basically has no clue what the vote is about.

Sort:  

Wouldn't legislation only create a monopoly on who publishes 'fake news', though? Afterall, even the major media corporations have been involved in this scandal as of late. How about CNN and the latest where three journalists resigned over their Russia narrative? Is there not a way to combat the proliferation of false stories without involving a behemoth government that is corrupt and filled with waste, fraud, and abuse? With regard to voting, what you prescribe isn't possible in a democracy. We've seen where prohibiting some groups from voting has gone before.

Told you I was coming :D Upvoted, followed, and resteemed you.

The short answer? Absolutely not. The long answer? We need a cultural shift toward more appreciation of knowledge, rather than berating and belittling people who seek it. That's one thing I love about Steemit. You can learn and get advice from anyone on here, and it is a wonderful supportive environment.

Voting to determine the course of human lives is only acceptable if the entire structure used is voluntary and respects consent. If not, then it's no different than any other tyranny. Now, while some forms of tyranny are more preferable than others (I'll take a liberty-oriented republic over the PRC any day of the week), they're ultimately less preferable than not having tyranny.