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Honesty, RIP: Facts take a beating across US
Source: AP, by Matt Sedensky
It isn't just a presidential race in which Donald Trump has climbed new fact-bending heights while branding opponent Hillary Clinton "crooked" or "lying." Increasingly today, realities seem open to interpretation, and blatant mistruths proliferate.
"There's a profound doubt in this country about the importance of expertise, knowledge, things like that," said Ohio University professor Kevin Mattson. "Trump has just drawn that out to its logical extreme conclusion."
"There's a profound doubt in this country about the importance of expertise, knowledge, things like that," said Ohio University professor Kevin Mattson. "Trump has just drawn that out to its logical extreme conclusion."
"The belief is that there is no objective truth — if we want something to be real, then it is real," he said.
Through that lens, it's easier to understand vehement insistence that climate change is not real (it is, according to scientific consensus) or that election fraud is rampant (it isn't, repeated studies have found). The disconnect from facts is exacerbated by a confusing web of information sources, both ideology-driven news outlets and lesser-known sites that peddle lies through incredible headlines, which spread on social media.
Through that lens, it's easier to understand vehement insistence that climate change is not real (it is, according to scientific consensus) or that election fraud is rampant (it isn't, repeated studies have found). The disconnect from facts is exacerbated by a confusing web of information sources, both ideology-driven news outlets and lesser-known sites that peddle lies through incredible headlines, which spread on social media.
Although Clinton is a favorite target of conservatives who point to her emails, Benghazi and a litany of her political positions as proof of her dishonesty, Trump has made more false statements, by far.
"Donald Trump has a problem with accuracy," said Angie Drobnic Holan, editor of the fact-checking operation PolitiFact. "To me, the question is how badly that will hurt him on Election Day."
The answer to that question may provide a new gauge of the value of facts in society.
"Donald Trump has a problem with accuracy," said Angie Drobnic Holan, editor of the fact-checking operation PolitiFact. "To me, the question is how badly that will hurt him on Election Day."
The answer to that question may provide a new gauge of the value of facts in society.
Read it at: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/b97056680bfc45d0a7335546f02137ab/honesty-rip-facts-take-beating-across-us