If someone says anything enough times, we all start believing it, or rather, it becomes an alternative reality. We have all seen this psychological phenomenon manifest itself in our lives at one time or another.
But first, before diving into that one further, let’s take a moment to also consider a different spin on a related phenomenon – catch phrases we think mean one thing, but they actually mean something entirely different.
“Winning isn’t everything” completely changes in meaning when you finish it with “it’s the only thing.”
“The early bird gets the worm” adds another possible outcome when followed by “but the second mouse gets the cheese.”
“Blood is thicker than water” becomes completely contradicted by the literal historical translation stating, “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.”
“Great minds think alike” ceases to be a compliment when you finish with “though fools seldom differ.”
Likewise, the somewhat insulting “Jack of all trades, master of none” becomes an admission of valuable skills when resolved with “though oftentimes better than master of one.”
When William Shakespeare offered the bleak opening line to Richard III, “Now is our winter of discontent,” the next line “made glorious summer by this sun of York,” joyfully suggests the turning of tides and the unhappy times becoming a thing of the past.
“Carpe diem,” translated to mean “seize the day,” literally means something entirely different when you complete the saying with “quam minimum credula postero,” which adds “put very little trust in tomorrow.”
When American Senator Carl Schurz said, “My country, right or wrong” in 1872, he continued with “if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.” Rather than encouraging unwavering, even morally blind, support of one’s country, as the beginning seems to suggest, Schurz actually insisted that we all have a duty to steer it in the “right,” morally just, direction.
So, when someone barks “Fake news,” what are they actually saying, and how do we interpret the claim they are making?
By definition, fake news describes false or misleading information, such as misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, and hoaxes, claiming the aesthetics and legitimacy of news – often aiming to damage the reputation of a person or entity.
Nevertheless, the term does not have a fixed definition and has been applied broadly to any type of false information presented as news. And to further the confusion, it has also been used by high-profile people to apply to any news unfavorable to them.
Despite its vast possibilities for interpretation, “fake news” gets tossed at us countless times every day. And in the process, observers have a lot to say about it, ranging from historical warnings about propaganda to modern reflections on the digital age – and how to navigate through it.
“You have to go through fake news to make up your minds,” said Raoul Peck, filmmaker, director and Haiti’s former Minister of Culture. “Facts and lies are treated as equal.”
The late Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from 2013-25, warned
in his 2018 message on Communications, “Spreading fake news can serve to further specific goals, influence political decisions, and serve economic interests.”
Make no mistake about it. The prevalence of fake news has increased with the rise of social media, especially the Facebook News Feed, and this misinformation continues to gradually seep into the mainstream media. Factors implicated in the spread of fake news include political polarization, post-truth politics, motivated reasoning, confirmation bias, as well as social media algorithms.
In the process, fake news can reduce the impact of real news by competing with it. For example, a BuzzFeed News analysis found that the top fake news stories about the 2016 U.S. presidential election received more engagement on Facebook than top stories from major media outlets.
In other words, we’re believing the lies. And even when the truth is being told, we believe the lie that it’s a lie. We no longer have CBS Evening News anchor Walter Chronkite, the “most trusted man in America,” signing off by saying, “and that’s the way it is,” leaving us with the indisputable faith that he had delivered the day’s events objectively, accurately and without personal bias.
Instead, we have everyone in the world – political figures and propagandists, narcissistic and psychopathic deceivers, scammers and fraudsters, conspiracy theorists, pranksters, celebrities and influencers, as well as well-intentioned relatives and citizens also referred to as misinformers – making accusations and claims of fake news at every turn.
We even have our own favorite news channel accusing other news agencies of fake news because their report might differ from the others. So, at the end of the day, who do we trust? Who can we turn to representing today’s Walter Chronkite for us?
In reality, no one and no place. We only have ourselves. We must make the effort to constantly seek to continue our education through reading and become informed on the current events that affect our lives both directly and indirectly. And we must use that knowledge gained to make sure our voices are heard.
We must be incessantly vigilant. Media literacy empowers individuals to be “critical consumers” rather than passive receivers of information. But it’s not easy in today’s world, and we must refuse to be lazy.
When seeking information, we must consider the source by identifying who created the information and their level of expertise or impacting motive. We must then launch into lateral reading by checking other reputable sources for corroboration to see if the information is being reported differently elsewhere.
But that’s not all. We must learn to recognize bias by identifying emotional triggers, such as “clickbait” headlines or content designed to incite outrage. And yes, increasingly so every day, we must seek visual verification, analyzing images and videos for signs of digital alteration or AI generation.
As of last month, media literacy initiatives have continued to expand globally to protect democratic processes and public health. In the United States, at least 21 state legislatures have taken steps to reform K–12 media literacy education, emphasizing the need for science-backed tools to help youth navigate social media safely.
We have to accept that the erosion of trust has become a reality with the media landscape saturated with fakes creating the “liar’s dividend.” This phenomenon allows some of the world’s most dangerous people to dismiss verifiable, factual reporting simply by labeling it as “fake news.”
We can no longer allow the resulting societal polarization, using false narratives to divide the public and create echo chambers where opposing groups cannot simply agree on a common set of facts. And we can no longer tolerate real-world harm, where misinformation has repeatedly incited public panic, influenced critical health decisions and triggered civil unrest.
We must rise up. We can no longer sit back and let it happen. We are Americans, after all. To be great again, we must stand up for what’s right, and fight for moral justice. We must make educating our children the top priority, striving to be intelligent and informed, taking care of our problems at home, and caring for our neighbors.
As Americans, we all know those things to be undeniable truths. Or at least, we sure used to know it.
“Now, we must seize our opportunity and live up to the principles of courage, hard work and economic responsibility that made our country great in the first place. It was once written that America is great because America is good. And if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” – Ronald Reagan
E. Brett Voss serves as publisher and co-owner of the Clifton Record Tribune, a multi-award-winning Texas journalist with more than 42 years in the multi-media industry, as well as an award-winning educator and filmmaker.
©2026 Southern Cross Creative, LP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
