Friday, February 22, 2019

It is a satire, wrapped in a figment of the imagination, inside a delusion

OK. This is getting complicated. Snopes is a fact checking website originally with the mission:
When misinformation obscures the truth and readers don’t know what to trust, Snopes.com’s fact checking and original, investigative reporting lights the way to evidence-based and contextualized analysis. We always document our sources so readers are empowered to do independent research and make up their own minds.
I have in the past used them as a starting point when investigating the accuracy of something but in recent years, they have devolved more and more into a mainstream media narrative confirmation source rather than a neutral checker of facts.

Meanwhile, as I occasionally mention, the satire site, Babylon Bee, comes perilously close to mimicking the mainstream media rather than satirizing them. They don't have to satirize the MSM when the MSM is already doing that heavy lifting themselves.

For example:

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Sure, its satire, but is it really?

I suppose it was predictable but it still surprises me. Snopes is now fact-checking the Babylon Bee. The Babylon Bee publishes:

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The BB "news report"
ATLANTA, GA—While Empire actor Jussie Smollett has been having a tough week so far, there appears to be a silver lining: cable news channel CNN has offered Smollett a job as an investigative reporter and on-air anchor after witnessing his skills at fabricating a story entirely out of thin air.

CNN producers were reportedly impressed throughout the ongoing saga of Smollett's apparent hoax attack on himself. They realized early on the facts didn't add up but were fascinated with how well the actor kept the narrative going. An HR rep quickly reached out to Smollett to see if he'd be interested in taking on a position at the news organization after news broke that the entire thing was probably fabricated.

"Smollett has exactly the kind of skills we look for at our fine organization," said CNN correspondent Brian Stelter. "He picked a narrative, made up all the relevant facts and details, and stuck with his story in spite of glaring holes in the plot. It's hard to find people who understand our core values here at CNN, but Smollett seems to be just the guy for us."

The actor has accepted the offer and is now undergoing training to learn how to weave even more intricate narratives ex nihilo, according to insiders.
It is a satirical story which is so plausible that it makes you laugh.

And then you discover that Snopes is fact-checking the satire.

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The Mandarin Class dominated media world has lost its mind. They seriously just fact-checked a satire. Next they will bring charges against Jonathan Swift for advocating genocide in Ireland for recommending his modest proposal.

Bringing their full investigative weight and reputation to bear, Snopes is able to definitively set the record straight.

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What is the media world coming to?

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