Re: Internet hoax sees China invade Japan

[Nick FitzGerald <nick () virus-l demon co uk>]

Dr. Neal Krawetz wrote:

<<snip>>
> There has been a noticeable increase in mass media carrying urban legends
> and obviously fake stories.
> I wonder if someone is playing with the mass media.

No conspiracy -- just (ever-)slipping journalistic standards.

Once upon a time it was the case that a good journalist was expected to 
have made "a reasonable attempt" to locate a credible nay-sayer -- 
someone who disagreed with the main line of whatever the story was.  
Nowadays, it suffices for a good journalist to be able to trot out 
three (loosely) independent sources that agree.

Combine the loss of questioning that seems to go with ever more high-
tech forms of reporting ("I saw it on the Internet so it must be 
true!") and you have the stage set for great scads of quackery and 
obvious stupidity to be reported "as fact".


Regards,

Nick FitzGerald

_______________________________________________
Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts.
https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec
Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list.