In a world with alternative facts, people have become accustomed to hearing the term “fake news” from the Trump administration.
The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2017
Don’t believe the main stream (fake news) media.The White House is running VERY WELL. I inherited a MESS and am in the process of fixing it.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2017
What the public has commonly agreed on as fact has been turned upside down, the most recent example being Kyrie Irving’s statement saying that the Earth was flat. “This is not even a conspiracy theory. The Earth is flat. The Earth is flat. … It’s right in front of our faces. I’m telling you, it’s right in front of our faces. They lie to us,” he said to Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye on their podcast.
When asked about Irving’s statement, LeBron James said it was okay for Irving to believe what he wanted to. But it is really okay to be spreading misconceptions to millions of people?
It is concerning that common scientific knowledge is being ignored by influential athletes. It is concerning that quality news publications are being condemned by the President of the United States. It is concerning that people are staying silent.
To endorse partisan news outlets as the official presidential information source is outright dangerous. But to reduce the hard-earned reputations of trustworthy outlets is something else entirely. Turning the people against the media that is meant to check the government’s behavior is a classic move of oppressive regimes.
Where does the cycle of calling something a lie stop? The government is not far off from telling the country that homosexuality is a disease, changing how history is remembered, and straight out lying to the public.
Trump shook up Washington, just as he promised during his campaign. What Americans just did not expect was for him to change the meaning of “truth” and “lie.”
