Fake news? The problem is real news

you trust the proverbial snake oil salesman who promises that his product will cure your every pain? Analyze why not. You ask the salesman what’s in the snake oil, whether it’s been put through clinical trials. His answer: I can’t give away trade secrets. So, of course, you don’t put any credibility in this product. Something similar has crept into and corrupted journalism, whether print, broadcast or electronic. I’m not talking about blatantly fake news or unsourced news. I am talking about every imaginable excuse, no matter how weak, for journalists who present news as legitimately sourced, but allow the “source” to go anonymous. Why should an anonymous source be trusted? Why should an ostensible fact be accepted as such if you have no reason […]