Media Reports Fake Story As Real And Kills Its Own Credibility

As the fierce outcry over fake news continues, the mainstream media keeps failing to help its own case.

The latest example was a viral video of a female biker seemingly responding to unsolicited cat calls from workers in a van by chasing them down and pulling off a wing mirror. It is a satisfying clip, which is precisely the problem. The episode appeared to have been staged, but many outlets only qualified that well after initially publishing the story as real.

The net result? Even less trust in media. Every time a newsroom trades verification for the speed of a shareable clip, it hands another argument to the people who insist none of it can be believed.