Fake news is something I want everyone around me to know about. I’m in the media industry so I know this stuff to be true because we are part of the attention economy. Here are some quick, entertaining pieces of media which describe what’s going on.
I don’t believe in massive conspiracies. To me, the market economy for attention is the primary cause of the Fake News.
For example, I know it’s easy to make a website that earns consistent monthly cashflow from web traffic via Google Adsense. So in order to make a good amount of money on the side, one only needs to generate web-traffic. To get web-traffic, one powerful option is to write controversial things with no real basis in reality.
That’s why the media today works the way it does. It’s not a shadowy thing, it’s clear and obvious. Here’s how it works:
How Fake News Works
Trust Me I’m Lying came out years ago, but Ryan’s thesis has only been supported by reality in the last few years.
If you’re unfamiliar with Ryan Holiday, he is a young, astute marketer who grew up in the modern media. His list of successful clients speaks for it’s self. From my experience, the media landscape that Ryan talks about is exactly how I see it.
Fake News is Difficult to Differentiate
Whenever we read anything on the internet, we must be conscious of the nature of why that media is there. NPR did a great job telling the story of The Fake News King:
Do you have any resources to share regarding the digital media in 2017?
Please feel free to share links and thoughts in the comment section below.