It’s a giant mess, but something has to be done to both police the internet and safeguard mainstream media. Trump’s trick was to create classic echo chambers - a tactic employed by dictators throughout history. Rather than silence critics, simply discredit them frequently and repeatedly as liars, traitors and fake. Whatever they say, whatever evidence they provide will then be dismissed by your followers as fake news - whether it’s a tiny inauguration crowd or a democratically held election. At the same time point people towards unregulated websites and social media platforms that support you and tell them that they’re the only places where the truth can be found. Repeat again and againIts a bigger problem in the US, but it’s definitely a growing issue here - go on to social media and look at how many people are trying to discredit our mainstream media. Whether that’s boycotting advertisers who support certain newspapers or defunding the BBC, there are numerous campaigns running to silence our media. I may not be the biggest fan of the Daily Mail or the Guardian, but having different views is important in a functioning democracy and ensuring they have rules and standards about what they can and can’t print is vital. Somehow we need to make greater efforts to regulate websites and social media that deliberately distort the truth and prey on the angry and disaffected.
Craig Fordham ● 2096d