Last Monday, I attended the table talk about fake news. I thought it really opened my eyes to the responsibilities of regular consumers of news. When people share fake news, it gains attention and more people believe the news that isn’t true. Although the problem of fake news gained national attention with the presidential election last year, it is not really new. People have always created stories to trick consumers of news into believing false things about one person or another.

During the talk, GRF Magdala focused our attention on solutions to this problem. We spoke about checking sources, reading carefully, and only subscribing to reputable sources like the New York Times. We also spoke about how difficult it was to find the time to source-check every piece of news we read. I learned about the detriment it was to serious journalism. I think that everyone has a responsibility to decrease the amount of fake news we read and give attention to.

Not only does fake news cause people to believe things that aren’t true, it also has the potential to cause accidents. When people believe that someone is in danger as a result of fake news, they can behave in a way that is dangerous to others. We also discussed whether people should be prosecuted for such crimes. I think that fake news brings new questions and demands on society. These questions are indicative of a fast changing technologically inclined world that needs to adapt.