The long history of fake news | Elizabeth Mehren | TEDxBerkeley

Elizabeth Mehren utilizes personal stories and her professional experience as a journalist to uncover the history of "fake news," its dangers and how we can fight against it. Elizabeth Mehren spent much of her career as a correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, having previously reported for The Washington Post and other publications.
She has written for many magazines and has published four books. She co-founded Boston University's Global Health Storytelling Project, for which she and her colleagues earned a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant. Elizabeth received fellowships at the University of Maryland, the University of Georgia, and Columbia University, and has taught at the University of Southern California, Harvard University, the Harvard Law School. She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at UC Berkeley. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@S.O.T.M.H.Y]

‘The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became the truth.’ -George Orwell

[@algraham2469]

This is one TED everyone need to see

[@yoanashih761]

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” - Marcus Aurelius

[@gpckoleco]

Tell that first part to the contestants on the TV Show "The Traitors" :)

[@jnellie1970]

I think this issue is truly altering the fabric of our society. It’s ripping it to scraps.

[@jnellie1970]

My experience is that Fox has its entire business model based on innuendo and rumors or opinions. My favorites are, “some people say” or “my contact is saying”, etc. I know that Fox isn’t the only guilty party, but they seem to be the most egregious ones.

[@achilles1373]

CNN, FOX and MSNBC are absolutely the worst. Why is there no Libertarian news network?

[@aseel8935]

I'm excited to watch... Since we still experience same issue now with BBC, Fox, CNN.. etc

[@theno.1idea938]

My Mother often said, "Believe nothing you hear or read, half that you see, and most that you experience." Generally speaking, as I am roughly your age with plenty of experience over the years - she was right..

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

It sucks because google when I was in college in 2010s versus the google now, it’s a total gamble now.

[@DHeartofaKing]

I’m excited to watch this! 🙏🏾

[@matthewmann8969]

Be it CNN, CSpan, CSpan 2, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, Fox, BBC, etc it is hard to tell what is legitimate and what is fradulant and the center yeah.

[@aseel8935]

I opened it to write exact same comment 👏

[@iamdawnmwilliams]

Because they all lyin😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@JohnDoe-jh5yr]

You add CSPAN in there? It's literally a live camera.

[@vertigoz]

Yes, the real deal are the anonymous on the Internet...

[@SorVanna]

And sadly now NPR as well, they got bought out to be propaganda news like all the rest you mentioned.

[@andressimon2412]

Love it

[@armandocastillorodriguez1731]

Ceci y Alberto como siempre ganando los deseados brazaletes de salvacion

[@JamesWDoe]

So what is the arguement Dr Okoe. What is wrong with ramping up the econony by giving incentives to private sector to expand. Whether there is a 24 hour economy or not it is just like informal sector. So, what is wrong with formalizing and developing the support system to let it grow and expand. If Dr Okoe had listened to Lawyer Annan he would have had a bit of understanding about the thought and consultations that have already gone in to this policy announcement.

[@bukurie6861]

Thank you share❤I have hear as take inform.anyone Jurnalist.But when denf,...and do fake news looks so unligness,...

[@motidivya]

My girlfriend broke up with me after watching this video ( I'm happy for her) she caught a lot of lies I told her. ( I never cheated on her, but still - who likes lies). Thanks for this talk, I promise myself to never lie again. She meant a lot to me really.

[@nitu4005]

🎉

[@gpckoleco]

Difficult to watch because the speaker smacked lips too often and too loudly. IMO, if this was a true researcher, they would not use the terminology to Google anything. Google is an avenue for searching with algorithms and will only provide you with what you type into the search engine. Knowing how to 'research' is key. Knowing where to find information is also key. Knowing not to blindly believe the first article as truth. True research takes time and going through avenues to get to the truth. And like she said. knowing how to decipher the real from the fake, is also key. Google is also happy for you giving them their free advertising.

[@SorVanna]

Free Julian Assange!!!

[@gua742]

They just letting anyone do a Ted Talk now

[@ScootaGray]

This just sounds like a bunch of people that can't critically think over reacting to something THEY read, then immediately going to try and influence other peoples life's. The moral of the story: mind your own business, leave other peoples lifes alone. No fake news.

[@briannorcross6730]

This is the worst Ted Talk I’ve ever watched.

[@eldalopez3566]

I totally agree with you.

[@3bk65]

Same

[@JohnDoe-jh5yr]

Truth is offensive.

[@lookfeelbehealthy6320]

Good concept, poor presentation

[@naetuir]

Congratulations on making me listen until minute 14 before realizing you were a deep leftist. I do hope that people get better at identifying fake news, though.

[@sandra.helianthus]

So, you find content good until the moment the person is left or right? Isn't that a bit like what she talked about? Should it not be: a fact is a fact - independent of an agenda? And: you can research yourself on it and confirm for yourself if it is a "fact" - independend of an agenda?

[@naetuir]

@@sandra.helianthus The whole of the left have lost their minds. I actually agree with her content, the unfortunate reality is that she's going to take that and somehow twist it to her warped world view. That doesn't mean I discount the content. That just means I discount her end result, and that I will forgo giving a like to the video.

[@sandra.helianthus]

@@naetuir thank you for clarifying. I appreciate your take that you can still value the content though you don't agree on her world view. Nevertheless, it makes me wonder why this strong judgement that she "somehow twists it to her warped world view" which sounds like a horrible thing she is doing. I wonder: are you aware that other people would consider *your* world view completely "warped"? We all hold a certain societally learned world view - one that will seem "warped" to the others who have learned differently. And in the end, here she proposes the solution to close the gap between these views: do research in a variety of sources, find the facts and *then* build you opinion and your worldview. 🌻