'Fake News' is a bad thing, but do we even know what it really means? 'Fake News' in the Webster dictionary is defined as 'News reports that are intentionally false or misleading', but some world leaders and governments - like our own - often use the term if you do a story which is critical of them. There is also a difference between incorrect news and fake news. Incorrect reports are not put out intentionally, they are mistakes and should be corrected with an apology if needed. So last night, when the I and B Minister announced draconian guidelines to deal with fake news, there was a near unanimous outcry in the media, because the rules said that based on a mere complaint an accredited journalist would lose their accreditation right away, until a probe was completed. The Prime Minister intervened this morning and ordered the ministry to withdraw the circular. Fake news is a very real problem. So how exactly can we deal with it? That's the big debate.
