The problem is not misinformation. The problem is that people no longer trust "experts," "authority," "scientists" etc as much as they used to, because that trust was betrayed. When you lie to people repeatedly about something important, they stop trusting you. That's why we have that story about the boy and wolves.<p>Stop blaming the public for believing "misinformation" and "conspiracy theories." In the past few years, many of those "conspiracy theories" have turned out to be more truthful than what you were telling them. They're just being rational actors.<p>If you (the media establishment) want your relevancy back, you're not going to get it by insulting your former audience at higher and higher volume. If you want people to start listening to you again, you're going to have to stop lying for money (or at least drastically cut down on it). Barring that, you will continue to fade into obsolescence, replaced with a field of new info sources.
> Social and psychological forces are combining to make the sharing and believing of misinformation an endemic problem with no easy solution.<p>There's nothing new about misinformation in the US. We have a long history of trying to influence each other for monetary, political, or other purposes. (See 19th century newspapers completely ignoring news not favorable to their chosen parties and candidates).<p>Maybe it happens faster now with social media. But the effect has been with us before and will be again.
“Truth is the most valuable thing we have. Let us economize it.“<p>“No real gentleman will tell the naked truth in the presence of ladies.”<p>- Mark Twain
I think this should be a fundamental assumption, whether you’re left wing or right wing: the enemy is an ordinary person, just like you. You can’t change human nature, all you can address is the various carrots and sticks that influence their behavior.<p>I am a leftist and I definitely do <i>not</i> believe that our social problems are the result of scheming enemies or secret cabals.<p>In my view they are the natural, systemic result of an economic and social system where the more power and money you have, the more I you can get. It <i>forces</i> you to make the most narrow, self interested decisions you can, because otherwise someone else will beat you. And the best way to win that game is make sure someone else pays for all your externalities.<p>If your worldview relies on secret cabals or inherently bad people doing evil things because they’re just evil, that’s a big hint that you’re on the wrong track.