Think Progress has become the latest victim of a juvenile faux news hoax. Think Progress ran a story about how Minnesota U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann proposed “Americanization” labor camps for Central American unaccompanied children. It quickly spread from Think Progress to other liberal sites, precisely what the “source” KCTV 7 had hoped. KCTV 7 is one of a number of fake news sites run by adolescent tricksters who relish spreading false stories. I have previously written about these sites and the type of low-grade “gotcha” pranks that motivate such people. It hardly takes a genius to set up a site that looks like a real news outfit and run stories to trick anyone who stumbles by on the Internet. I don’t find these pranks funny or impressive. I cannot understand how companies like WordPress give them a platform for such hoaxes or why the creators have not faced personal liability over their false stories.
The story quoted Bachmann as saying “I’m calling on all of us, Obama and Congress and everyone, to chip in and build special new facilities . . . ‘Americanization facilities,’ if you will. And we’d send these kids to these facilities, in Arizona and Texas and wherever else. And we’d get private sector business leaders to locate to those facilities and give these children low-risk jobs to do. And they’d learn about the American way of life, earn their keep, and everyone wins in the end.”
Raw Story reported that “However, it turns out that interview, often sourced to KCTV7, was plagiarized from an openly satirical site, The National Report. The KCTV7 report lifted large passages of the Bachmann “interview” and accompanying text from The National Report website verbatim.” National Report is the fake news site that I previously criticized. I honestly do not understand why these people find such pranks to be funny or worth so much effort. They degrade both media and Internet users. It is the equivalent to graffiti on the Internet.
Think Progress issued the following statement:
The news site KCTV7 News is a parody. Rep. Bachmann (R-MN) never made the statement. We sincerely regret the error.
The editors of the site relish these juvenile pranks. The site states “KCTV7 is a Kansas City news site that reports local and world news, as well as American politics.”
I am astonished that WordPress tolerates such fraudulent sites or that these people have not been sued for false light or defamation. If a site tricks people into buying false items or harming themselves, WordPress would presumably terminate the site. Yet, here is a group of people who work hard to spread false stories to embarrass people — often attributing harmful stories to people like Bachmann. I am less judgmental toward Think Progress as I am toward these juveniles and, by extension, WordPress that gives them access to victims.
leej, There is a famous quote, attributed to I believe a Chicago Tribune editor. “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.” That is how the press used to operate. 3 sources of verification was the standard. Now, if it fits your template, run it. Both sides do it, and both sides are degrading the duty of the press to keep us informed. The fact that so many left folks, who have derision for Bachman, can’t see that. Sitting in the middle I see it so clearly. Some myopia can be corrected w/ lens, not this.
I’ll try a different comment. Paul I had a neurosurgeon come into the room and say I am John Smith. I said Do you prefer John r Dr. Smith. He replied. I worked for the title so I deserve to be called by it.”
leejcaroll – when they take that attitude I tell them I will call them Doctor if they will call me Master. Usually ends the discussion
How weird that it took. Ill try the comment again.
It is amazing to me how quickly this degenerated into the left is a bunch of punks, wrong and always coming after us on the right who know the truth of things.
Think progress was wrong in not checking their sources. Under the 1st amendment these foolish people can do whatever they want with impunity. (absent defamation, etc illegalities)
If a “news” organization is going to report a story it is incumbent upon them to check their sources.
It is not something unbelievable based on Bachman’s many, many statements but still, it would have been easy to verify.
Leejcaroll, I retrieved the comment at 11:04.
It is not taking my comment (and there was no click) Don’t know if this will get to someone or not)
I think it is pretty much a done deal that nothing will be pursued after she leaves office, Paul.
Carlton – I am an egalitarian. I do not care what your title is, except for judges and the President of the United States. They are all Mr. or called by their first name. I do not call any of my MD by Dr., I call them all by their first name.
anonymous, BINGO!
Ms. Dienes does not flaunt an alphabet after her name and posts as Kim Dienes. So, I called her Ms. Dienes. That’s the protocol. Chuck, you were just trying to be the master of protocol, like the Royal family has. Titles are temporal and unimportant in the scheme of things. Now, it’s all fixed. “Kim” is her preference and lets just move forward w/ that.
We need to set up camps, surrounded by barbed wire, for all of the ‘Deranged Bachmanns running around. One of them might run out into traffic, and cause a traffic Emergency….
Ah, yes. People in love with their titles… and dragging initials after their names.
The best and the brightest don’t seem to feel the need. Just my 2 cents.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/222747691.html Like I said before, the Star Tribune is the best place to go for articles about the investigation, Paul. As I said she is not running and the investigation appears to have been dropped. You are free to draw your own conclusions. Having been around politics for a long time, I have drawn mine.
SWM – the one does not preclude the other. According to this article the investigation is going on, but Bachmann has already said she is not running again.
Regarding addressing someone with a terminal degree. The courteous thing to do is address them by the title, unless invited to do otherwise. If a person introduces themselves by a first name or nickname, it’s fine. Otherwise, either ask, or stick with the title.
A courier from a British general delivered a message to George Washington addressed to “Mr. Washington.” General Washington is said to have replied, “Tell the general that you delivered the message to General Washington. Tell him that General Washington knows this ‘Mr.’ Washington. He is a planter from Virgina. When I see him after the war I will give it to him.”
Chuck – justifying using the fallacy of false equivalency because everyone else is using the fallacy of false equivalency is just moronic. It is a false equivalency.
Squeekers, Hillary would never be smarmy, or elitist, right?
nick, I don’t know.
Squeeky – how can you argue with Hope and Change. If you did point out that it was meaningless, you were racist.
Squeeky, Great comment. You must have gotten that therapy suggested by the crack team of shrinks we have here. It is miraculous that in just 2 days you could be cured!!
Come on, SWM. The late, great Nal posted a faux story here and he had the integrity to own up to it. I liked Nal from the outset but he was elevated in my mind by his unqualified mea culpa. “Let he who is w/o sin..” We are all human. The key is to understand that, own up to your mistakes, and learn from them. Some of you folks have a bug up your butt about JT. So, you’re missing the macro point, obsessing on this micro one. I was not here for the Breitbart incident. Did JT own up to it like Nal did?
Some of the comments here show how this incident occurred. For some, it is not enough to disagree with someone ‘s political stance , it had to degenerate into a personal animus to boot. Hence, disagreeing with Bachman becomes “She ‘s crazy. She ‘s mean. She ‘s a psycho.”
For these people, there is a smarmyness and smugness born out of some weird misplaced sense of eliteness. That is how Obama became president despite any real experience or job qualifications. He was just the right kind of person who said the right kind of things.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Paul,
The strawman of using the fallacy of false equivalence seems to be a favorite around here.
As for the truth of the matter, here is a little history. My older daughter used to date the sports editor and chief photographer for a newspaper. He quit the paper because he was under unbelievable pressure. As he explained it, cable and internet news placed pressure on all news outlets to get a story out. His own publisher was concerned they make the first news cycle on stories, not the second or third, by which time it was no longer news, or relegated to the back page. The thing he hated to do most was to print a retraction or correction on a story. However, due to the pressure, they were increasingly frequent.
Rather than get ulcers or have a premature heart attack he quit an otherwise very good job. Last I heard, he was going to go to work for NASCAR where writers could take their time and actually do research.
Report the hoax, make corrections and move on. No need for anyone to get their knickers in a twist.