Huffington Post SA gets serious backlash over 'disenfranchise white men' fake article
"The biggest danger is when a piece is written not with the intention to inform and generate good debate, but when it is designed to be divisive and has a specific agenda to trigger hate or racial rage" - Darren Maule.
LISTEN: Social media law expert, Verlie Oosthuizen weighs in on the article.
Read: Could It Be Time To Deny White Men The Franchise?
I am very concerned about this phenomenon called 'fake news'.
It used to be that we could differentiate between news, opinion, and satire, but the lines have been muddled. Kind of like how coffee, milk, and sugar are all separate and easily distinguishable parts, but when mixed together, it is impossible to unmake a cup of coffee?
So that is where we are at globally. We in South Africa are still not as bad as other countries, but we are quickly catching up.
The biggest danger is when a piece is written not with the intention to inform and generate good debate, but when it is designed to be divisive and has a specific agenda to trigger hate or racial rage.
Those pieces do 'well' and get many many clicks and comments, making your page or publication seem a desirable destination for advertisers. So starts the vicious cycle. The more shocking the story, the more ads I can sell, and that is the sole purpose.
Something drastic has to be done to curb this phenomenon and create a forum for real news only, as well as credible, responsibly-informed opinion.