OXON HILL, Md. — Conservatives were offered advice here Thursday on what to do if they “suspect” a close friend of family member has shared a piece of so-called “fake news.”
The panel discussion, hosted by executives of the conservative American Majority nonprofit, explored the fake news phenomenon that rose to prominence in the 2016 campaign and offered tips on how to confront it.
“Do your homework. Don’t make baseless accusations. Do your research yourself. Find news outlets that are reliable, are consistent,” said Mike Morrison, director of communications at American Majority.
He said conservatives should delicately approach friends or family who they suspect of shared fake news on social media, where fabricated and false “stories” were most often seen during the campaign.
“Help people understand,” Morrison said. “You want to be respectful. You don’t want to burn bridges just because of folks posting articles online. And talk to folks privately. You don’t need to call people out publicly, necessarily, and give someone a bad name when you do so. Have a polite conversation.”
After the election, Democrats started to blame fake news for President Trump’s victory, but Trump used it to target news outlets and journalists publishing stories about him that he said were unfair or too critical.
