Hi everyone,







Just because we respect some journalists and news outlets and not others doesn’t mean we have a role in deciding what is fact and what is fiction.







If we choose to preserve 'real news' and not 'fake news' we do a disservice to those outlets that don't toe the line and to readers who believe those outlets.







Do we have a right to preserve only our own reality?  I think not.



·        Think of how inaccurate the reporting was with regard to polls in the recent US elections - that reporting was 'fake news' too.



·        What about all the reporting of WMDs in Iraq? Are we preserving the outlets that challenged this ‘real news’?



·        Think of all the conspiracy theories about JFK - now some of them appear to hold some truth...



·        In previous generations, censorship and misinformation have been utilised in mainstream media for ‘national security’ purposes



·        In previous generations, McCarthyism was given a voice in mainstream media.



·        In previous generations minorities had NO voice in mainstream media.



·        What about when Oliver Cromwell was the good guy? (see? some of you will say he still is, others won’t)







Left and right wing ‘rags’ and rubbish magazines tell us the truth sometimes when we don’t want to hear it. Someone needs to preserve them too.







We have a responsibility to preserve 'fake news' as sources of research for future generations.  If not, we run the risk of increasing the bias of preserved knowledge available to them.  Just like my Japanese friend was never taught anything about WWII in school…







Let those future generations decide for themselves, in hindsight, what was true and what was fake, by giving them the whole picture.







Maybe Mark Zuckerberg could continue to rely on the Facebook community to decry ‘false news’ and concentrate on weeding out bullies.







Respectfully,







Susan Lafferty







-----Original Message-----

From: LibLicense-L Discussion Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of LIBLICENSE

Sent: Thursday, 24 November 2016 12:40 PM

To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>

Subject: "Fake news" and research libraries







From: Bernie Reilly <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>



Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2016 18:51:02 +0000











Some brief thoughts on what the post-election “fake news” debate has to do with research libraries, at:



https://www.crl.edu/blogs/fake-news.







With a responsibility to ensure future citizens an accurate and complete public record, research libraries have a stake in the survival of “fact-based” reporting and independent journalism.



Licensing, and using the power of the library purse, could afford us some leverage.  CRL's electronic resources strategy is designed to confront the challenges.







Best to all for the Thanksgiving Holiday.







Bernard F. Reilly



www.CRL.edu<http://www.CRL.edu>