When a news site shares over 250 articles per week to thousands of readers on Facebook, it’s likely there is going to be an article shared that is distressing because it is inaccurate or because it is biased and opposes someone’s ideology or politics. The Cardinal News resolution for 2019 is to encourage responses to these articles with civil conversation on our Facebook pages, and to discourage overreaction and personal attacks by readers.
Today we noticed this comment from a northwest suburban woman that accuses Cardinal News of sharing Fake News (that she claims “we know is Fake News”), and tells Cardinal News we should be ashamed …
“Take this down. You know this is fake twisted news. The real story is all over today. You should be ashamed”
— Northwest Suburban Woman (name withheld)
The northwest suburban woman’s comment is in response to an article published by ABC 7 Chicago titled “Boys in ‘MAGA’ hats mock indigenous elder in DC: VIDEO” and shared by Facebook.com/ArlingtonCardinal at 2:03 p.m. on Saturday January 19, 2019.
In short summary, the ABC 7 Chicago article reports that students from Covington High School surrounded an innocent Native American, Nathan Phillips, at the Indigenous Peoples March in Washington DC on Friday January 18, 2019. The article explains that the students of Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky may face suspension for their actions — accused of mocking a group of Native Americans.
A series of commenters (in the Arlington Cardinal-shared article from ABC 7 Chicago) contributed referrals to an article published in INFORMATION LIBERATION on January 19, 2019 titled “Hate Hoax: Native American Activist Approached Chanting Covington Catholic Teens, Got in Their Face”.
The INFORMATION LIBERATION article provides significant evidence that a specific Native American was not so innocent as he was initially portrayed by other media sources, Facebook, and on Twitter.
“The story was picked up by hundreds of news outlets — without a hint of skepticism — who portrayed the kids as evil racists. “
The INFORMATION LIBERATION article provides video evidence that the Native American, Nathan Phillips, wasn’t surrounded by the students; but that Phillips approached the students from a significant distance while chanting and banging a drum. Additionally, a student, wearing a red MAGA hat, was apparently displayed out of context. The MAGA hat-wearing student was actually in a defensive position and simply smiled when Phillips approached him, while Phillips was banging a drum and chanting. Initial articles and tweets that were published led readers to believe that the student approached Phillips and was in Phillips’ face.
Of course, there is no way of knowing which side started the overall “intimidation” earlier, but it appears that the original reports were exaggerated and misleading. Bottom line? Cardinal News doesn’t know who is at fault here. Perhaps “it takes two to tangle” applies.
INFORMATION LIBERATION is rated a “Questionable Source” by Media Bias/Fact Check “based on extreme right wing bias, promotion of propaganda/conspiracies and a lack of transparency.” However, video showing Nathan Phillips approaching the students provides important detail about the entire encounter, and INFORMATION LIBERATION should be credited for publishing the information.
Now about those who want to order Cardinal News to take posts down, accuse Cardinal News of sharing Fake News, or want to resort to applying manipulative shaming techniques targeting Arlington Cardinal. Here is our simple statement in our ABOUT page (STORY: Hyperlocal and US & World News) section …
FRIENDLY REMINDER: Articles shared from other media sources are provided for information only and should not be viewed as endorsements or alignment with any specific ideology.
Need we say more?
SHAMER AS CONTROLLING MANIPULATOR
It is well known in psychology that “shaming” is a control strategy that attempts to damage the target (“the shamed”) with an ill-mannered attempt to manipulate. Going to the shaming extreme is an attempt to make a person feel terrible by making an accusation that the target is horrible, broken, immoral, vile, worthless, and/or disgusting, etc. Supposedly, if the target initially respects the shamer, or is under some type of duress control by the shamer, there will be successful behavioral modification by the shamer. Otherwise (most likely), the shamer will be disrespected and disobeyed by the target.— Cardinal News | Don’t Like What You Read? Learn to Engage in Civility, Not Polarization
If the lettuce is brown, don’t eat it
You might consider this analogy: Cardinal News serves information like food at a buffet. Cardinal News is not forcing anyone to swallow any of the items that we share. Cardinal News is not endorsing any of the items as “tasty” or “good for you”. Cardinal News is not sharing to say, “Hey, believe this!” But Cardinal News is determined to help people be aware of what is being shared and swallowed in the media world.
Skepticism is up to you. Actually, skepticism is your responsibility, and skepticism in the media world is encouraged at all times. Skepticism is especially encouraged in the current age of unscrupulous editors and writers, deliberate fake news attempts, repetitive untrue messages, PhotoShopped images, high-tech fake videos, and out-of-context videos using segment omission and juxtaposition techniques.
If anything, practice with seeing the good and the bad should help us sort out the true from the untrue.
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CARDINAL NEWS | Don’t Like What You Read? Learn to Engage in Civility, Not Polarization
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