Quote:Please Stop Sharing Links to These Sites

Quote:The liberal side of the internet has a serious problem in the form of far too many websites that people mistake for actual news sites that use clickbait headlines and highly distorted articles to feed into the confirmation bias of their intended audience. And it works. Far too many people, including some of you I’m sure, are falling for it.

I see links to these sites on my Facebook feed dozens of times a day and it makes me want to smack my head into a wall, often shared by otherwise intelligent people who consider themselves to be skeptics. And yet they will share a link to an article with headlines like “Trump DESTROYED by MSNBC host.” Here’s a good rule of thumb: If a word in a headline is in all caps, it’s probably bullshit. And most of the time, if you read the article — which studies show most people don’t bother to do before sharing it — you find that it doesn’t fit the headline at all. The headlines are often wildly exaggerated or just plain false.

So why do so many people share this crap? Primarily because of confirmation bias, I think. They support Hillary (or Bernie) and hate Donald Trump, so if the headline says something bad about them, they’ll share it. If the studies are accurate, about 60% of them don’t even bother to read the article to see if it contains any evidence that matches the headline; if the headline fits the narrative in their head, they share it. Sadly, when you call them out for this and point out that what they shared simply is not true, or at the least is vastly exaggerated, they often get angry rather than being reasonable about it.

This is something the right has been doing for a very long time. Sites like Newsmax, Breitbart and many others have had this as their core strategy for making money from the moment they were created — use outrageous headlines and highly distorted articles that match the mindset of their audience, wind them up into a frenzy, and watch the pageviews roll in. It’s highly disappointing to me that the left has begun to emulate them, as if accuracy simply doesn’t matter as long as it advances their ideological agenda. I expect better from the people on my side of the fence.

So herewith, a near-definitive list of the sites that I think should not be cited. Print it up and keep it by your computer, or keep the list on your phone or tablet. When you see clickbait headlines, stop clicking on them, and especially stop sharing them. And if you feel I’ve missed any, please add to the list in the comments.

Occupy Democrats
Bipartisan Report
Winning Democrats
PoliticusUSA
Blue Nation Review
IfYouOnlyNews
USUncut
The Freethought Project
Addicting Info
LiberalAmerica
Newslo
Politicalo (almost anything that ends on lo; these sites specialize in taking accurate statements from politicians and then adding false quotes to them that are much worse than what they actually said)
DailyNewsBin
American News X
Being Liberal
The Other 98%

Quote:It’s highly disappointing to me that the left has begun to emulate them, as if accuracy simply doesn’t matter as long as it advances their ideological agenda. I expect better from the people on my side of the fence.

(05-05-2017, 01:22 AM)Bengalzona Wrote: Obviously, I tend to agree with the article. I've been making an effort not to re-post or share anything from these sites. Too much fake news. You can still be a Liberal, Progressive and/or a Democrat without going to these sites. In fact, it will probably make you a more informed and better one

(05-05-2017, 01:22 AM)Bengalzona Wrote: A friend shared this article on Facebook and I thought it was worth sharing.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/dispatches/2016/09/18/please-stop-sharing-links-to-these-sites/



There's a lot of discussion about Fake News and Right-leaning organizations like Breitbart (and rightfully so, IMO). But without getting into discussions about "Who does it more?" or "Who does it worse?" or "Who did it first?" (which never get anywhere anyway), those who cast stones should be able to examine their own glass houses (or some plithy saying like that). In other words, you can't be part of the solution if you condone a different aspect of the problem.

Obviously, I tend to agree with the article. I've been making an effort not to re-post or share anything from these sites. Too much fake news. You can still be a Liberal, Progressive and/or a Democrat without going to these sites. In fact, it will probably make you a more informed and better one

(05-05-2017, 09:58 AM)6andcounting Wrote: Any headline where Trump got "destroyed", did something "bizarre", is involved in "chaos" or is "done" has a 100% chance of being fake news.

The term "fake news" becoming mainstream is the best thing to happen in a while. More people are actually critically thinking about if the information they're getting is actually news and calling it out when it's BS. 

(05-05-2017, 02:15 AM)hollodero Wrote: I stopped expecting more. The so-called "left" to me is on the right side of the issues most of the times. I agree with them. But that doesn't mean their means aren't often just as misleading and distorted, their minds aren't just as stubborn. They often operate with the same kind of lies and deception and selective perception they are so appalled by when used by the right. I say often because honestly I think on the right does it happens even more blatantly, but that's a nuance.

And the saddest thing, a right leaning person won't change his mind, but he at least tends to listen, to respond and to stay polite and respectful. Try disagreeing with a sturdy left-winger though. They don't stay polite, they take away their respect for you and your words, you can see it in their faces and read it from their tone and words. I was called part of the problem quite a lot of times simply by trying to stay factual.

I can only imagine (and also to a small extent witnessed it by now) how bad that must be in a country where there effectively are just two sides to every political issue. You're either with me or you're with the other side. It's bad enough here, where we have more choices.


Fully agreed. The sources many on the left lean on can't be called reliable many times. The right-wing fake news, however, are sure more wide-spread and a bit more divisive and extreme. I thank Putin for that. But, that doesn't make what you described any better. The end doesn't justify the means in either case, whatever the preferred end is.


---
Actually, there's something else. The girl on your picture sur is pretty, but there is a certain asymmetry in the nipple area. I feel that needs to be pointed out explicitely.

(05-05-2017, 12:00 PM)michaelsean Wrote: It's not asymmetrical.  The arm is pulled back, and it's pulling the shirt back which is pulling the boob up because the strap is above it.

(05-05-2017, 11:44 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: I've always been a centrist, very liberal on social issues, pretty conservative on criminal justice, the military and gun ownership. 

(05-05-2017, 02:15 AM)hollodero Wrote: Actually, there's something else. The girl on your picture sur is pretty, but there is a certain asymmetry in the nipple area. I feel that needs to be pointed out explicitely.

(05-05-2017, 11:44 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: Lastly, I pointed out the nipple asymmetry the day he started using that pic.  You're late to this party. 

(05-05-2017, 12:00 PM)michaelsean Wrote: It's not asymmetrical.  The arm is pulled back, and it's pulling the shirt back which is pulling the boob up because the strap is above it.

(05-05-2017, 12:11 PM)GMDino Wrote: I must have been married too long to put that much thought into it!  

(05-05-2017, 03:27 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: But is there a 'point' to this conversation?


(Get it?!?!? "Point"!!! See what I did there?!?! .... Oh well, nevermind!)

(05-05-2017, 08:46 AM)GMDino Wrote: But "fake news" is also being used to describe anything one side doesn't agree with...true or not.

(05-05-2017, 05:36 AM)JustWinBaby Wrote: Never heard of those leftie sites.  Breitbart isn't remotely mainstream - despite what people tell you to believe it's up there with VOX, Mother Jones, Red State, Hot Air, etc....Nobody with a brain reads and believes any of that shit.

However, instead of rising above the garbage places like the NY Times and Politico are trending a lot closer to Breitbart.  I can't even read Gizmodo without seeing something from an ignorant and unhinged dumbass!

(05-05-2017, 04:20 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I had a discussion on Twitter yesterday with someone that is a more conservative personality. I misunderstood his argument, but we had a discussion about the ACA is a civil manner and both lamented the lack of data based reasoning in politics these days. Even the "real news" these days is filled with anecdotal, hyperbolic, fallacious bullshit and it would just be nice to get away from that.

(05-05-2017, 07:18 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: That is weird. A founding member of Breitbart is the chief strategist for our president and in the white house everyday. One of the presidents top men.

Sooooo. Judging from your comment.... Somebody with no brain is making the most crucial decisions for our country? 

(05-05-2017, 04:20 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I had a discussion on Twitter yesterday with someone that is a more conservative personality. I misunderstood his argument, but we had a discussion about the ACA is a civil manner and both lamented the lack of data based reasoning in politics these days. Even the "real news" these days is filled with anecdotal, hyperbolic, fallacious bullshit and it would just be nice to get away from that.