It’s ludicrous to allow journalists to be arbiters of facts. Sure, new organizations have their own fact checkers to make sure they are putting out the best and most accurate news story they can – but that, in the end, doesn’t make it facts.
Journalists acting as arbiters of truth by fact checking the speech between people on social media, politicians, or of other new organizations is insidious. The Fact Checkers lot is to shape your mind in the way they or their “master” wishes you to think. And for that, you should reject them all and tell them to be on their way.
Journalists don’t give you facts – they give you news. That means they talk to multiple people (sources) and research various information at the hope of bringing you a newsworthy story. The problem with people as sources is that they have perspectives, agendas, flaws – they may lie, mislead, or just misunderstand.
Journalists may see some sources such as scientists or politicians as credible when they are not deserving. Or they may see some sources as not credible because of their status, occupation, or their own personal biases. The information they gather may be flawed, as well. Where did it come from, who paid for the research behind the information, is there an agenda attached to it, etc. At best, journalists and news outlets may get to a version of some truth – but never “facts”
While we are at it, scientists are not arbiters of fact either. Just stating that they are, undermines science, because science deals in hypothesis and then theory. A scientist has a hypothesis, next they conduct an experiment, and if the experiment confirms their hypothesis with peer review, it becomes a theory. A theory to become a fact, is taking a leap of faith, because it is based on many people hearing and believing the theory.
That’s only one problem though. Science is only so good as tools, the viewers senses, and the money backing it. Science is not safe from agendas, lies, and biases.
Even if all that doesn’t go wrong – science is like a language that can be easily misinterpreted. How many poor souls went around believing they only use a small portion of their brain. This was a misinterpretation of an experiment that showed humans only use a small portion of their brain AT ANY GIVEN TIME. That changes the meaning, doesn’t it. And yet, how many journalists have gone around structuring a story over that mistake – saying it as if it is some type of fact.
News, theories, information, and perspectives – not facts. This is why Fact Checkers are not friends to democracy or truth. They are instead a roadblock that diverts you to control and subjugation.