Fake news, which has seen a rise in traffic and profitability this year, may finally be seeing its downfall. After being condemned by President Obama and Pope Francis, the media is now getting scolded by Denzel Washington for perpetuating these types of stories that are used to elicit fear with conspiracy theories. Washington has a stake in this argument as he was recently the focal point of a false viral news story.
Earlier this year, the Training Day star was involved in a fake news story that claimed he supported Donald Trump. The story spread like wildfire, with numerous people sharing it on their social media feeds, although Washington had been a vocal Hillary Clinton supporter. It was merely another falsehood, which outlets have been slow to tackle and has led to some dangerous situations. But now Washington is speaking his mind, and he’s sorely disappointed. At the premiere of Fences, the Academy Award winner told The Washington Post that people must stay informed, and the media must inform them. And if we let that slide, the fake news wins:
“If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed, if you do read it, you’re misinformed. What a responsibility you [media] all have, to tell the truth, not just to be first. Anything you practice you’ll get good at, including B.S.”
Like most of his monologues, Washington was stern and frank in his assessment. But this is not the first time “he” has condemned the media…
(Via The Washington Post)
