Fake News !

There was a time a few decades ago when the newspaper industry in Australia had a huge circulation because most homes had a daily delivery and late afternoon two " evening " newspapers went on sale. The traditional morning papers delivered a more sober and traditional view of world news while those afternoon rags tended to devote space to more " sensational " stories that suited the mood of people on their way home from work.

That was a time when all the commercial radio stations in Australia crossed to the ABC to take their live midday news broadcast and again for the nightly seven pm edition.  Few radio stations had their own newsroom, and the only ones that did were located in state capitals and only bothered with local content news.

Depending on the ownership, newspapers usually favoured a left or right political slant and as the sole public broadcaster, the ABC was supposed to be impartial and present news pruned of political opinion.  Most people got their " news " from either newspapers or radio and the general consensus was that the content was believable !

How different it is today.   The numbers that read newspapers has shrunk and in the radio world the programming is now heavily in favour of " talk back " shows - and towering over all - is the Internet.
We are now accustomed to having instant access at all times by way of the ever developing mobile phone which has become our indispensable method of communication.   We share our opinion - and take in the opinion of others - in a constant stream of both subject and news content that flows through Facebook, twitter and a host of other channels.

What used to be called the " spin doctors " were not slow to see how this could be used to guide public opinion.  Simply introduce a story that creates " outrage " and leave it to those desperate to achieve a degree of fame to add their name in support.  In todays world, a contingent of paid " trolls " can be enlisted to give that story added strength and the average viewer can be convinced that public interest heavily supports that view.

We are now seeing that this method has found favour with the governments of other world countries who can put together programmes that constitute a form of espionage to create thought patterns in countries they wish to dominate and even manipulate the vote in internal elections that elect governments which they favour.

This method allows the introduction of what is essentially " fake news " reporting an untrue claim against a candidate they wish to discredit.  Such fake news is usually heavily supported by comments from both trolls and armies of " slave " computers under the control of manipulators who guide them to add " like " click-ons to reinforce the impression of mass support for that point of view.  It can create an overwhelming impression of support - for very little money outlay.

Eventually, it may become necessary to reduce spontaneity by requiring contributors to make their identity clearly known.   The free wheeling world of the Internet may only be tamed if input involves legal responsibility for matter contributed.  It seems that the anonymity of the past may be the price we have to pay to banish fake news from the Internet.

And of course the Internet is only in its earliest evolvement.  Who can foresee where it may lead in the future and what may develop in that technical marvel that is the mobile phone ?