A few weeks back, the Richmond News was accused of reporting “fake news,” because we ran a story about the fact (not to be confused with an “alt fact”) that a McMath school trip to New York City had been cancelled due to the then-recent U.S. travel ban.
The students who are now looking for something else to do over spring break, or the parents who’ve had their deposits returned, can assure you there was nothing “fake” about the cancellation.
Even our accuser doesn’t actually challenge that reality; what he/she does say is that we only ran the story to foster anti-Trump sentiment. Ok, but even if one agreed with that opinion, which I don’t, is the story then fake?
One of the more interesting things about these curious times we’re living in is the lexicon that’s developing along side. We have “fake news,” “alternative facts,” “bubble filters” and “echo chambers.”
Speaking of echoes, you can almost hear the reverberations of George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 — which, by the way, shot to the top of Amazon’s best seller list last month.
Orwellian terms such as Big Brother, thoughtcrime, Newspeak and doublethink were coined to not just describe but create certain realities — which brings me to echo chambers and bubble filters.
In the effort to “monetize the web,” (make money off it) website algorithms have been devised to track our every move online so advertising can be more accurately targeted. Yes, it’s a bit Big Brother-ish, but if you’ve been online looking for a new sofa, you may well be interested in a coffee table to match. The challenge, when it comes to news and analysis, is that soon we’re funneled only the news (fake or otherwise) we’ve shown an interest in.
I’m reminded of a cartoon where two dogs are at a computer; a middle-aged man sits in his recline in the next room. One dog says to the other, “I used to fetch his paper, now I just forward articles I know he’ll agree with.”
It’s the “...I know he’ll agree with,” that has created these filter bubbles and echo chambers in which people only read what will reinforce their own beliefs.
So what’s Gateway Theatre got to do with this? Gateway’s upcoming production The Pipeline Project (see page 15) is a show about one of the most divisive debates in Canada. It brings those news headlines into the theatre, so right there we have an element of cross-pollination. As well, half the show is a staged production, while the other half is a live interview with individuals on various sides of the argument, followed by a conversation with the audience.
I realize one play won’t repair the dangerous disconnect we’re currently seeing, but nor should it be underestimated. Surely, the best antidote to fake news is a real experience.
