In the article, the author uses number and statistics to induce the reader to look closely at the news for validity. The fact that “Harris is a 23-year-old” who created such chaos at such a young age indicates the issues with fake news. The author may be saying that the younger generation does not realize how dangerous this type of news can be. The mention of “Tens of thousands’ of fraudulent Clinton votes” was an impetus for the article to be “eventually shared with 6 million people.” Harris’ use of such large numbers caused people to believe and spread news. In his statement, Harris’ use of the phrase “large scale changes [are] occurring in America” makes the reader weary of “fake” news articles that are intractable once they get in the mainstream media.
These “fake” news articles often make it hard to differ from the real and the fake “news”. I rarely ever pay attention to the news because it is hardly ever true or positive, and you have no real way of telling. Recently, my brother has come home past his curfew and has made up intriguing and creative lies to try to get out of discipline. So far, these ridiculous lies have been believed. I think the reason my mother has believed them is because she wants to. Any person who knows my brother knows he can get away with just about anything but I believe it has very little to do with the way he lies rather than how my mother choose to believe him. She choose to believe him because she would rather believe him than have to go out of her way to punish him or figure out the truth or even figure out how or why is lie in not the truth. I think this relates to the “fake news” situations that society has often been facing. The public will see a ridiculous article about Hilary Clinton hosting a sexual business out of a pizza joint and choose to believe it because they see it as another opportunity to prove to other people how horrible of a person they think she is.
“Tens of thousands’ of fraudulent Clinton votes.”
“Harris is a 23-year-old”
“There are large scale changes occurring in America.”
“eventually shared with 6 million people.”
Charlotte Observer Article: “Fake news author is fired: apologized to those ‘disappointed’ by his actions.”
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article127391619.html
Polifacts: 2016 Lie of the Year: Fake News
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/dec/13/2016-lie-year-fake-news/