LA Times - These stories are not true, but some people want to believe anyway

[TomCADem]

Democrats and progressives will not be able to win in an environment where facts simply do not matter.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/these-stories-are-not-true-but-some-people-want-to-believe-anyway/ar-BBxoCqF

"People have not yet sorted out in their minds how they're going to incorporate (social media) into their news stream," she said. They may be inclined to believe a false report originating on social media because it feels "more magical, more interesting or even more authoritative because it seems more unmediated," Tucher said.

Another reason readers believe false stories is they want to.

"If a lie is telling you something you want to hear, you're more likely to think it's true," Kaye said.

The lies can be difficult to debunk because they involve proving that something DIDN'T happen.

[ghostsinthemachine]

1. The Bengazi lie, the email lie

Both fit the profile. Prove a negative.

[Initech]

3. The Pizzagate lie...

[underpants]

6. IRS hoax, ACORN, etc.

[KamaAina]

7. The Planned Parenthood lie.

[gordianot]

2. The Clinton foundation lie vs The Trump Foundation lie.

Even when Trump tries to close down his foundation when it is being investigated in plain sight.

[0rganism]

4. there's gonna be problems when the "mainstream" press is distrusted

and, whatever else may be said, the press has more than fucking earned its distrust imho

so how are people going to decide what's a reliable source anymore? maybe whoever their pastor tells them to trust? most likely whatever already fits with their existing world views, which may already contain a severe degree of propaganda taint.

read the comments on the article, you'll see exactly what i mean.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. I must have posted at least five times about Confirmation Bias...

and other cognitive biases that make people believe what they want to believe.

Fake news just makes it all so much easier.

Pogo was right-- "We have seen the enemy, and it is us."

[Scurrilous]

8. K & R