I don’t know who coined the term “fake news,” but I’m pretty sure the first time I ever heard it used was when Donald Trump said it years ago at one of his infamous rallies.
In any case, it needs to go. Whenever I hear those two words together it’s like someone is grating a chalkboard with their fingernails. It brings shivers down my spine.
Trump weaponized the term, using it against journalists, columnists, politicians and anyone else who disagreed with his personal views. And it has since seeped into the mainstream.
People have been hiding behind those words for too long. They use it when they don’t understand a situation, or when they simply don’t want to believe something is true.
The most obvious example I can think of right now is the way people have refused to trust health experts throughout the pandemic.
My Take: By Michael Boriero
