Is "fake news" a threat to our democracy?
by Logan Mullan
The freedom of the press is one of the pinnacles of the American Constitution and a shining light for people in oppressed countries.
One example of this shin- ing light is the fact that all European countries followed in America’s footsteps by adapting it into their own constitutions as they turned from monarchies to democracies. The same is true for many African, Asian, and South American nations. However, there are countries that do not possess the freedom of the press or speech, countries like China and Vietnam. The expansion of free press is a great accessory in this information age. The internet, and papers provide people with information on local and national events. But over the past few years a growing consensus has risen online that some news may be fake or intentionally misleading. The consensus started to gain steam during the 2016 presidential election. The Left accusing the Right and Russia of posting anti- Hillary stories on Facebook and other forms of social and regular media sites. In the final few months of the election, the phrase “Fake News” was being propagated by pundits and candidates on a scale never seen before. Many Clinton supporters charged that other side of spreading misleading or negative information on Hillary Clinton’s campaign. The election is now in the past, and Trump won, for good or bad. But the talk about fake news has not faltered. The main reason for its continued provocation is now a way to smear Donald Trump even more than he already has himself. The Russian investigation also being used as a way to continue the conversation on fake news and how it affects us. Seventeen intelligence agencies have supported the fact that Russia interfered the US election, and several news stories, proved by unnamed sources, have proven this as well. A recent report by the Guardian focused on troll farms that disrupt online discussions and work for a businessman connected to the Russian government. |
But what should be done to counter fake or mislead- ing news, from trolls or from other countries?
Ban it? Fine anyone who does such a thing? These are good questions and many have tried to solve it. Facebook’s attempt is to alert users of possible fake news or misleading news through third-party fact checkers such as Politico, allowing users to flag stories so the third parties can fact check the flagged article. Germany took another road. Lawmakers drafted legislation to fine Facebook if they are ever found to eradicate the problem of fake news on their platform. However, legislators quickly hit a roadblock, as questions about freedom of speech and the freedom of the press halted their approach. Facebook’s attempt was a little more effective than Germany and is being implemented on the Facebook mobile app. Opposition to Facebook’s policy has arisen as well. Many third-party news organizations raised an issue with this kind of system, charging mainstream bias and dominance. “The site’s dominance as a news distributor and its ability to reach billions of people in a click leave many smaller news organizations worried about how that kind of system could be abused,” said Julia Greenberg of Wired. However, it is a step in the right direction, despite the opposition to the system. If we are to continue with this system of third-party fact checking or a system that is similar to it, then there's one question left to be asked. How far should a system like this go in combating fake or misleading news, and when does it start infringing on the Constitutional rights of the people? It’s the new and important question for our generation as the years go on and nations battle it out. What we do about it will drive us through this information age, and when we finally make our decision, I hope it’s the right one. |
a student from china shares perspectives of her first three months at craig
by annie chen
This September, I started my senior year at Craig. At the be- ginning of this semester, I felt nervous and unadapted.
Before going to Craig, I studied at a international school in China. However, I felt my English studied in China was unuseful when I came here. My first class is AP-Gov. The reason for choosing this class is that Mr. Bryan told me I can go on a long trip next year. American political rules seem a little difficult for a Chinese. One of my friends from Bolivia dropped the class last month, but I don’t want to drop this class because I believe that I can do very well later. The favorite part of Craig must be that I can choose my courses related to my interests. I really hate Math, so I didn’t chose any Math course here. In China, we all forced to study AP-Calculus. Homecoming dance is kind of interesting too. Everyone wears formally and dances informally. Anyway, the informal dance is a good news for a person who is not good at dancing, like me. I felt like Americans have a lot of stereotypes and Chinese also have some stereotypes for Americans. I got to know that some Americans think Asian girls are all submissive. I must say it is actually the rooted bias. Chinese girls are all very independent and thoughtful like every American girl. And for the American guys, I think they have the advantage for the height. |
However, Chinese boys always treat one relationship more seriously. And we don't date a lot of friends at the same time.
Dating culture between America and China is so different. My host family are all real Christians. They brought me to the Church twice. I must say it is super boring in church especially the Bible story part, so I fall asleep every time. Shame on me! Finally, I want to say that I am so lucky to meet some really nice people in this school. Thankful for the help from Genna, Blaize and Joshua. Genna is a really kind girl and when she is driving, she will stop short for the little animals. Blaize and Joshua are also super sweet every day. And I am so happy to get to know some freshmen in my Foods for Life class. Allison is a smart girl and our group needs her every time. Because Jerdon and me are clumsy for cooking, she devotes more when we need to finish the cooking assignment. Good to meet Hanna and Cami when we have the lunch time. Hanna is so beautiful from inside and out. The first three months in Craig is full of ups and downs. I think I just need to change some. No one will know my real name is Yueqi Chen. I am just Annie in Craig. Keep to myself and keep working in the future. |