Conservatives tweeted “fake news” in response to the 9News story, now spreading across the country, that U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Aurora) made an early back-door exit from a crowded “constituent meeting,” while scores of people were waiting to talk to him about his intention to repeal Obamacare.
How could the story be fake? The news outlet? Real. The crowd in Coffman’s office? Real. The early exit? Real. Sneaking out the back door? Real. The yellow police tape stretching from the back door to Coffman’s car? Too real (and too bizarre).
In support of the accusation of fakeness, @COPeakPolitics pointed to a Denver Post story indicating that Coffman did not leave the constituent meeting early. But later The Post corrected its story with:
CORRECTION: This story was corrected at 10:28 p.m. Jan. 17 to show that Rep. Mike Coffman left his 90 minute constituent meeting early. The meeting was scheduled for 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Others speculated that organizers were involved in getting some of the people to Coffman’s office and letting the media know. Gasp. If it’s true, and we don’t know, that’s politics and community organizing, not fake news.
Journalists often want to know, what’s the back story of an event. How did it come to pass? It’s a fair question, but that doesn’t make what actually took place any less real.
Fake news is a fabricated falsehood made to look somehow like real journalism–and identified as false by credible fact checkers.
It’s not a story (with video) of Coffman leaving early from the back door of a building full of people clamoring to talk to him about an upcoming vote.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
BY: Lauren Boebert is a Worthless POS
IN: Puppy-Killing Gov. Kristi Noem Cancels Jeffco GOP Fundraiser
BY: Lauren Boebert is a Worthless POS
IN: Puppy-Killing Gov. Kristi Noem Cancels Jeffco GOP Fundraiser
BY: Lauren Boebert is a Worthless POS
IN: Weekend Open Thread
BY: Schrodingers Dog
IN: Puppy-Killing Gov. Kristi Noem Cancels Jeffco GOP Fundraiser
BY: joe_burly
IN: Thursday Open Thread
BY: JohnInDenver
IN: Puppy-Killing Gov. Kristi Noem Cancels Jeffco GOP Fundraiser
BY: Meiner49er
IN: Colorado Republican Mad About Decorum Rules Equates Democratic Legislators to Hitler
BY: harrydoby
IN: Friday Open Thread
BY: 2Jung2Die
IN: Colorado Republican Mad About Decorum Rules Equates Democratic Legislators to Hitler
BY: Lauren Boebert is a Worthless POS
IN: Puppy-Killing Gov. Kristi Noem Cancels Jeffco GOP Fundraiser
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!
How to tell if it's fake news (for those who can't – PP, looking at you).
And here's depressing news for the educators out there:
No Fooling – Fake News is Hard to Resist