Can the fake ever become real? In response to this question from last class, I decided to write about what initially came to my mind. I believe that the answer is “yes.” To justify my response, I will relate back to the theme of fake news which we are currently studying. When viewers are using fake news sources such as “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” as their primary tools of learning, has this fake news not transitioned to real news? Viewers who are dependent upon these shows as sole news sources create a reality based on what they see on screen. For instance, the jokes of those such as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert unconsciously sway their audiences into having an identical general point of view about a specific topic.
Furthermore, this reality credits such men with an identity much more prominent then that of a comedian. It is unprincipled to claim themselves strictly as comedians. They are, in fact, distributing news to the public. Therefore, I see them also as newscasters. Do you think that viewers are aware of this media transition? Most importantly, do you think that it would affect the type of news that they watch?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
a few things that come to mind:
i think you're justified in thinking that the fake can and does become real and why wonder if this has more to do with reification than it does with the arbitrariness of language -- what makes something real can also make it fake (and vice versa). this is especially true when we consider that fake news programs like the daily show and the colbert report often serve as the sole news sources for younger viewers. the fake, in this light, constitutes a truth or what colbert calls "truthiness".
last question: if you repeat something enough (irrespective of context), does it become truth?
i'd like to read more on this subject.
i.
a month today since your last post. why not post something new today?
i.
Post a Comment