Dear Friends:
Since one or two
years ago, different questions about “fake news” are spreading across the media
and in the political environment.
The accusations
started with a series of “news” posted in Facebook with the apparently
knowledge of the management of this social media.
Before these
accusations, it was public that Facebook began to generate commercial material
disguised as “news” using advanced psychological techniques and with the
intention to help big accounts that wanted to conquer new customers and improve
sales.
In parallel with
this initiative, some members of the management of Facebook and Google
expressed non-appropriated opinions with the political moment.
All those facts gave
reasons to think about “special preferences” for a political color of the leaders
of the social media.
In this line, the
2016 presidential election was the top event that put in evidence that the owners
of the social media are not neutral in key issues of our politics.
From that moment,
the “buzz” of the “fake news” is spreading everywhere. Now, in the political
and business spectra, in a systematic way, a lot of people say that the news or
comments against them are “fake news” invented for the rivals and/or enemies.
Really, a chaotic situation about what is true or false in the news.
If we analyze in
detail the 2016 presidential campaign, we find that the pages of the newspapers
and the blogs of the social media networks were full of “fake news”.
In relation with this
negative environment, some days ago, the management of Facebook announced that
it is hiring an army of professional auditors to monitor the material is posting
in this social network every day.
Despite the current
buzz, we have to remark that “fake news” are not new. Also in the old
newspapers of more than 20 or 30 or 40 years ago we found “news” that were
invented for journalists with low ethical principles.
More than ten years
ago, I read a book titled “How to write Articles for Newspapers and Magazines”
published by Thomson-Arco with the copyright of Dawn Sova, Ph.D, 1998 and 2002.
(ISBN 0-7689-1079-X).
This book starts
with the following paragraph: “Writing articles for newspapers and magazines
requires that you take careful steps in developing ideas, planning the article,
collecting information, and focusing the subject.”
“As the writer, you
are accountable for what appears under your byline, even errors in information
given by a presumed expert, or falsehoods provided by the subject in an
interview. As a result, you must be careful in checking facts, judicious in
selecting your sources and meticulous in reporting your observations. “
Between 1998 and 2002,
the Internet blogs didn’t have the importance of today. Some writers offered to
the readers their emails to receive comments and observations but nothing more.
And only very special comments were posted at the foot of the original story if
the writer or publisher considered interesting and serious.
Today, the majority
of the online versions of the newspapers are open to everybody who wants to add
observations or comments in a box located in the foot of the story.
Some of the more
important and respectful newspapers of the country like in the United States
are The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times only accept comments from the
members of their own communities.
In particular, in
the case of The Wall Street Journal, the members of the community are readers
who are subscribers of the newspaper with real name, background, location and
contact information. From the other side, the newspaper reserves itself the
right to exclude the blogs that use a non-appropriate vocabulary or the
bloggers who act against the ethical rules of the publication.
Other online media
are open to everyone who wants to post comments without care if he/she uses
offensive vocabulary, distributes fake news, make non-appropriate declarations
and invent news with different proposes: business or political campaigns or the
evident intention to destroy opponents or to distribute extremist ideology.
In this chaotic
environment, it is possible that any organization, institution or individual
post material from anonymous sources and with evil intention into Internet.
The current situation
is forcing the social media networks to monitor comments, blogs, stories and
news that are circulating across readers, companies, institutions and
publications linked with the net.
Meanwhile, software
companies are offering advanced analytics tools to determine the impact of the
comments and materials posted in the main social media networks like Facebook,
Twitter, Google and others.
In relation with
this subject, during CeBIT 2017 in Hannover, Germany, an expert in mathematic tools commented
that a key factor of the victory of Donald Trump was his own Twitter account
where every day he was posting comments early in the morning.
The social scientist
Dr. Michal Kosinski from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business on
March 23 of the current year, in the CeBIT Global Conferences (Hannover, Germany) said that a method based in Big Data
analysis using psychometric tools helped to the Trump campaign to spread
personalized posts that facilitated the Donald Trump’s victory.
According to several
statements of Dr. Kosinski published during CeBIT, similar technology was using
in the French presidential campaign and will be used in the September elections
in Germany.
The case is that
Emmanuel Macron grew as top candidate of the French presidential election in
very short time with a focused message that demolished the arguments of
politicians with more long experience in the French political arena and ended
with a terrible defeat of Marine Le Pen. (Till now nobody revealed if he used
tech tools to push his campaign, but the “Macron phenomenon” opens questions
about this possibility)
In summary, today
with “fake news” and/or “real news” posted in the social media networks it is
possible to move the public opinion in one or other direction in a way that
never before was possible. Technology and psychology together have a power that
few people know till now.
-------------
Next, you can read
some of my last comments in the blog of the WSJ – Journal Community during the
last few days.
Domingo A. Trassens
WORLD RETHINK
Rethinking the world
with you
Twitter page:
(More than 16.1K
tweets posted)
Wall Street Journal
– Journal Community page:
(More than 8900
recommendations received from other members since the new Journal Community
started in 2014 and 7900 in the previous JC.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MY BLOG COMMENTS
(Moody put down the
rating of China to A1 from Aa3 due to some signals of decline of the economy of this
country.)
My comment: The
"glory days" in the economy and businesses are not eternal.
05/24/2017 11:16:42 AM
1 Recommendation
(The official Trump
administration budget for 2018 is generating complaints and negative
observations).
My comment: Frequently,
the government budgets are based on questionable math.
05/24/2017 11:09:59 AM
(In his first trip
abroad as U.S. president, Donald Trump is visiting the Vatican and Italy after his meetings in Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem.)
It is good that
President Trump and Pope Francis had the opportunity to talk face to face about
their common points and differences.
This was a special
"page” of the agenda of the Trump trip.
05/24/2017 10:51:57 AM
3 Recommendations
(In a new Congress
hearing, former CIA Chief Brennan said the Russian were in contact with the
Trump campaign, despite the warning of the CIA to the Russian intelligence
services.)
My comment: Former
CIA Chief Brennan made serious accusations disguised with some “cosmetic” to
avoid an immediate explosion, but the "bomb" continues
activated.
05/24/2017 12:09:33 AM
2 Recommendations
It is important to
remark that Alexa has not a "crystal ball". Somebody will teach Alexa
how to achieve the right answer.
The introduction of
this story starts with this question: “Alexa, how would a Fed rate increase
impact the U.S. economy?”
The decisions of the Fed are not financial decisions in the right way. They are
political decisions. Frequently nobody who is not involved in the decision can
measure the impact of the increase of the rate in an exact way with information
that is public in the street.
Only the directors of the Fed can teach “Alexa” to give the right answer.
Alexa and all these new devices can give a financial advice that follow strict
financial rules and when there is a “big-data” with historic information that
is accessible through the Internet to everybody.
For the other side, a financial institution will only share with its customers
the information necessary to make more businesses. We don't have to be naive.
05/23/2017 04:59:43 PM
2 Recommendations
Islamic State
militants hate the human beings like they are. They are devils with 'masks' of
humans.
05/23/2017 04:04:57 PM
2 Recommendations
According to the
news, instead of fixing its technical problems, Fiat Chrysler is cheating its
customers with fake tests using software simulations.
05/23/2017 03:43:10 PM
4 Recommendations
(My comment was
posted in WSJ before the British police confirmed the explosion of the Manchester concert was a bombing attack.)
My comment: Surely,
these are the hands of devils which enjoy when others die or suffer....
05/23/2017 04:10:05 AM
2 Recommendations
(JD.com is a Chinese
drones maker that is developing heavy-duty delivery drones now.)
My comment: Chinese
are very smart to gain markets and in the case of the drones they are moving
fast to be the leaders of the retail niche.
Today the United States is invaded by Chinese drones. We see this
phenomenon everywhere.
Makers like JD.com are
gaining a lot of experience about the business of the drones.
05/23/2017 12:23:58 AM
3 Recommendations
(This story shows
statistics of the people who arrive legally to the United States and remain in the country after the
expiration of their visas.)
My comment: The
people who violate the immigration laws generate negative reactions of the
authorities also against the respectful individuals who follow the right steps
to have a permanent residence.
05/23/2017 12:12:37 AM
3 Recommendations
In the current
times, people don't have the right to have safety fun in concerts and public
areas. Terrible!
05/23/2017 12:04:28 AM
10 Recommendations (IMPORTANT:
I posted this same comment in my page of Twitter where in less than a day I
earned more than two thousand impressions.)
Nothing will change
in the Iranian politics in a dramatic way despite the victory of Rouhani, a
moderate cleric who was ruling the country during the last years.
Behind the scene,
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei always will stay marking the main direction of Iran.
05/21/2017 06:52:15 PM
5 Recommendations
(The CEO of Subaru
said that his company doesn’t have intention to enter in the complexity of
massive car productions that demand huge inversions and put profits at risk.)
My comment: It is
wisdom, to be small maker with good products and reasonable profits.
05/21/2017 06:07:30 PM
4 Recommendations
(This story comments
the new “tone” of President Trump speaking to a series of leaders of Muslim
countries in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.)
My comment: Now
President Trump wants to change his speech about the bad things of the Muslims.
In this new
direction, everybody will be our dear "brothers".
05/21/2017 11:04:10 AM
2 Recommendations
According to the
news, the Saudis are in the top of the list of Trump's businesses.
The story comment
that what companies are dealing with the Saudis and the amount of the deals.
First in the list: General Electric, Lockhead Martin, Honeywell. These
companies don't make chocolates or candies for a $1 the bag!
05/20/2017 04:01:29 PM
2 Recommendations
This is good news
from the current administration. We cannot be the "puppets" of the
terrorists like before.
05/20/2017 03:25:04 PM
3 Recommendations
(This story says
that now Philippine President Duterte is accusing China of promoting a war over the South China Sea.)
My comment: Is
President Duterte friend or enemy of China's Xi?
Some months ago, the
Philippine leader criticized President Obama and shook hands with Mr. Xi.
Now, he is changing
his mind maybe because President Trump invited him to Washington.
05/20/2017 11:03:29 AM
2 Recommendations
(President Trump
started his first trip abroad with a very important visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in the first term. The agenda of the trip
generate comments of some political analysts.)
My comment: For
President Trump, Saudi Arabia looks more important than the traditional
American allies of Europe.
Surely, this first
stop abroad from the American President has a symbolic meaning.
05/20/2017 10:05:05 AM
3 Recommendations
Nothing will change
in the Iranian politics.
05/20/2017 09:53:51 AM
3 Recommendations
According to this
story, the current president of the country is also involved in bribery.
Nobody looks
innocent in the top spheres of politics and businesses of the Brazilians.
05/20/2017 04:04:38 AM
2 Recommendations
(This story talks
about the killing of a new journalist who was fighting through his articles and
stories against the drug war.)
My comment: The war
against drug in Mexico is very bloody.
05/20/2017 03:50:02 AM
2 Recommendations
(This story comments
that jet fighters of China intercepted an American military plane in a
very risky action.)
My comment: Chinese
are not "professional" in military aggression.
05/19/2017 09:52:36 AM
3 Recommendations
(This story says Sweden ends the probe for sexual assault against
Julian Assange.)
My comment: This is
a less "headache" for Julian Assange who till now is living in the London diplomatic resident of Ecuador.
05/19/2017 09:44:36 AM
Some observers
suspect, Donald Trump wanted to protect to his former adviser, probably because
if General Flynn talks, he will be in trouble.
05/17/2017 05:05:19 PM
3 Recommendations
The news about the
last quarterly financial results of Cisco Systems is positive.
In previous years,
the American networking leader suffered the effect of a series of strong
"storms" and the impact of the entrance of the Chinese in the
communication market.
05/17/2017 04:53:47 PM
India is a huge potential market for digital devices. Apple is seeking
leadership in this country manufacturing phones. Good initiative!
05/17/2017 04:46:10 PM
2 Recommendations
Puerto
Rico cannot
continue in the current direction for longer.
05/16/2017 10:07:03 PM
3 Recommendations
The classic
department stores are very expensive in the current times with a lot of workers
with low incomes.
Buyers with low
incomes only enter to the expensive department stores looking for the “on sale”
offers of good products with big discounts.
05/16/2017 09:52:05 PM
2 Recommendations
The series of
"falls" of the SPD (socialists) and the decline of the AfD are giving
a new opportunity to CDU.
Angela Merkel has to
move more to the center like in the previous times of the CDU. This will be the
end of the partnership: CDU-SPD.
05/16/2017 09:35:56 PM
According to we
know, President Santos made a deal with the FARC that doesn't guarantee a
permanent peace for Colombia.
By the way, for the
negotiations with the FARC, President Santos used the support of Cuba, white before U.S. helped Colombia with money and resources in the war against
the "guerrilla".
Now, President
Santos came to Washington asking for new support.
05/16/2017 03:37:25 AM
6 Recommendations
The burning
question: Can we act completely confident with Russia in crucial war issues?
05/16/2017 01:54:33 AM
2 Recommendations
President Emmanuel
Macron begins a new difficult task in France, a country that is shaking with a lot of
security, economic and social problems. .
05/14/2017 07:38:56 PM
The party of Angela
Merkel won a very important state of Germany that was SPD (socialist) for long time.
This is key advance of the CDU in lands where before it was weak.
05/14/2017 07:31:18 PM
2 Recommendations
The universal use of
standard software like Microsoft Windows makes vulnerable a lot of public
services. This is a serious problem that everybody has to evaluate.
05/13/2017 09:40:59 PM
4 Recommendations
The news says the
cyber-attack affected the German railway operator's digital display panels.
This is only a sample how technology is at risk today.
05/13/2017 09:25:59 PM
The cyber attackers
(or hackers) are the most dangerous enemies of the free world today.
05/13/2017 04:14:53 PM
7 Recommendations
The violent
persecution of Christians is consequence of the new belligerent attitude of the
Islamic extremists that started with the Arab Spring.
According to the
last events, the movement against Christians will continue.
05/12/2017 04:41:46 PM
8 Recommendations
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SOURCES:
1) External Sources:
“How to write Articles for Newspapers and Magazines” published by Thomson-Arco
with the copyright of Dawn Sova, Ph.D, 1998 and 2002. (ISBN 0-7689-1079-X).
2) CeBIT 2016 Global
Conferences – News releases and press material for analysts and journalists
distributed by the organizers of CeBIT. I am registered as international
analyst / journalist of CeBIT (Hannover, Germany) since 2002, the first time that attended to
this fair and conference in Hannover.
3) Wall Street
Journal, The New York Times and a series of newspapers from Germany, U.K., France, Canada and Japan. (I am member of WSJ Journal Community since
2006. And I am also registered as online reader and blogger of The New York
Times since 2006.)
2) Own Sources: My
own research for previous publishing projects like TTT of Comlab Corp and
others.
