Big Lies in the Post Fact World 

It's an unwitting absurdity to hear so-called media professionals try to make sense of a "post-factual world," as if it's a real thing. The post factual world doesn't exist outside of conscious stupidity. Reject it and reject these hacks propagating the notion. The FACT that most people in the United States give equal if not more attention to tabloid sensationalism as they do to political realism is indicative of a decline in the nation’s character. It’s a victory for targeted marketing that comes at the expense of qualified journalism. 

Yes, plenty of people buy into fake news. It shouldn’t surprise at this point - it is not a new phenomena. Does it have consequences in the culture? Of course! But we’re losing our way to give into the notion that numbers of subscribers equate with legitimacy. This is setting the table for the big lie – the manipulative lever used by the powers that be to put across a self-serving agenda. It should mortify us to see people turn fake news into a tool for creating a president and forwarding fascist ideology. If you’re a journalist, ask real questions of the post fact world and don't settle for less than an answer to those questions... 

And those of us interested in substance need to support these journalists. It’s a very imperfect world, and the real stories are not easy to tell. Diminishing the stature of hacks in the media is one way to start mooring the truth. Personally, I’m angered by professional pundits who sit comfortably in cable-TV land making lots of money and tell us how things are without knowing what people are actually thinking or feeling out on the streets. We can support accuracy in journalism by not engaging in the bullshit, and through investing in enterprises displaying an institutional integrity, by restoring the concept of credibility killers, by lifting up and sharing a noble cause, and by displaying a little grit beyond that. 

The reality is, post-fact living won’t bring very much in the way of intellectual nourishment or take you very far down the road towards sustainability. Last I checked, a well-made house still requires skilled engineering. If you wind up in the hospital, you're going to want the attention of a real doctor. Need legal advice? You can go to a lawyer or consult a fortune cookie. We are free to make our choices. But there are good choices and bad choices. And each time we participate in a bad choice, we legitimize the big lie and contribute to the destruction of real journalism.

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