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Labour and BBC warn on risks of being infected by contagion of fake news stories

Saturday, January 14th 2017 - 09:36 UTC
Full article 24 comments

British politics risks being “infected by the contagion” of fake news stories, a senior Labour MP has said. Michael Dugher said the problem was not confined to the US and news outlets everywhere had a duty to scrutinise politicians on the basis of “truth and reality” not “click-bait nonsense”. Read full article

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  • golfcronie

    Has nobody heard about libel laws or do they not exist in the USA?

    Jan 14th, 2017 - 03:01 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Paragon

    For the BBC read : British Brainwashing Corporation, since its inception back in 1922 it was and still is the propaganda arm of the Government of the day, no matter who is in power right or left wing. Governor and directors appointed by the government. Its as bad as Corporate mainstream media. who independently of the government have there own vested interests in swaying / controlling public opinion

    Jan 14th, 2017 - 05:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Briton

    Really,
    one thought it was the Brussels Bureaucracy Company,
    still-
    opinions differ...lol

    Jan 14th, 2017 - 09:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Bisley

    BBC and other leftist-dominated news outlets are the major source of fake news, with their omissions, distortions, and outright lying to promote socialist policy and give cover to leftist politicians.

    Jan 15th, 2017 - 04:40 am - Link - Report abuse -3
  • ElaineB

    What a load of paranoid nonsense.

    There is something in the report that is scaring the bejeezus out of Trump. Do I think the Russians have been cultivating Trump for the last five years? It would not surprise me in the least and if the report really is a load of nonsense, why is Chris Steele now a target for the Russians? The former SIS worker had been right before and it is not only the BBC that has called him a reliable source.

    If the U.S. and Russia buddy up, that is not at all good news for the U.K.

    Jan 15th, 2017 - 02:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Room101

    Truth? What is Truth?

    What Pontius Pilate might have said to newspapers..

    Jan 15th, 2017 - 03:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Paragon

    Steele works for a private intel company, ( Orbis ) not the government.

    When government intelligence agencies produce clandestine political reports, they often include thick sections about sources, possible motivations behind their information and the methods used to approach them. Such background helps decision makers determine how reliable the information is.

    Andrew Wordsworth, co-founder of London-based investigations firm Raedas, who often works on Russian issues, said the memos in the Trump dossier were “not convincing at all.”

    “It’s just way too good,” he said. “If the head of the CIA were to declare he got information of this quality, you wouldn’t believe it.”

    Mr. Wordsworth said it wouldn’t make sense for Russian intelligence officials to expose state secrets to a former MI-6 officer. “Russians believe once you are an agent, you’re an agent forever,” he said. also it seems that Steele has not been in Russia for 20 years but that has yet to be confirmed.

    ElaineB can you point me in the right direction on why it would not be a good thing for the UK. If the US was to “ buddy up to Russia ”

    Jan 15th, 2017 - 05:42 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • ElaineB

    @ Paragon

    ”Steele works for a private intel company, ( Orbis ) not the government.“

    That is why I said FORMER SIS worker.

    Yes, Andrew Wordsworth is another opinion. I think there is some merit to his comments but you and he may be focusing on the alleged sex tapes, I am not. It is the finical dealings that are far more concerning.

    ”ElaineB can you point me in the right direction on why it would not be a good thing for the UK. If the US was to “ buddy up to Russia ”

    Seriously? O.K., I am pointing you in the direction of reading up on the current situation between the U.K. and Russia - probably the worst since the height of the cold war - and how it would leave us in a very awkward situation if the U.S. side with Russia. Especially once we are out of the E.U. Russia would love to see the break up of NATO and Trump is no fan.

    Jan 15th, 2017 - 06:19 pm - Link - Report abuse -2
  • Paragon

    ElaineB , Yes I am being serious. the UK and the EU are puppets of the USA, they support everything that the USA says, Its only worse because of following that lead, you only have to look at sanctions aimed at Russia which have damaged the trade in the UK and the EU. Nato as a force has been operating outside its original remit.for quite sometime, re Libya as an example at the instigation of the US. I don't want to get into a discussion about the so called Russian aggression in the Baltic states as that also appears to be phoney. Nato and the US have broken all their promises after the break up of the Soviet Union regarding expansion of Nato's borders. The current build up by the US and Nato troops in the Baltic countries is as any military strategist will tell you, is completely usless, but no less a provocation. Even if they mobilised all their troops they still would be over run in a conventional sense. No military worth its salt stations troops that it sees as defensive that close to the border. Its all bluster to keep the momentum of Russian aggression going. Its Nato that always makes the first provocative moves and Russia responds by moving missle Systems to counter this ( not troops )
    Trump sees Nato for what it is, ( or appears to do ) and if he does actually run down the role of the US Then the UK and the EU will have to start building trade bridges with Russia especially the UK as its going to need all the trading partners it can get after Britex, hopefully with lower tariffs than what the EU will give them

    Jan 15th, 2017 - 07:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • ElaineB

    @ Paragon

    So why were you asking me?

    Jan 15th, 2017 - 07:50 pm - Link - Report abuse -2
  • Paragon

    Getting back to the original allegation
    The mainstream media’s extreme enthusiasm for the Hitler Diaries shows their rush to embrace any forgery if it is big and astonishing enough. For the Guardian to lead with such an obvious forgery as the Trump “commercial intelligence reports” is the final evidence of the demise of that newspaper’s journalistic values.
    We are now told that the reports were written by Mr Christopher Steele, an ex-MI6 man, for Orbis Business Intelligence. Here are a short list of six impossible things we are asked to believe before breakfast:
    1) Vladimir Putin had a five year (later stated as eight year) plan to run Donald Trump as a “Manchurian candidate” for President and Trump was an active and knowing partner in Putin’s scheme.
    2) Hillary Clinton is so stupid and unaware that she held compromising conversations over telephone lines whilst in Russia itself.
    3) Trump’s lawyer/adviser Mr Cohen was so stupid he held meetings in Prague with the hacker/groups themselves in person to arrange payment, along with senior officials of the Russian security services. The NSA, CIA and FBI are so incompetent they did not monitor this meeting, and somehow the NSA failed to pick up on the electronic and telephone communications involved in organising it. Therefore Mr Cohen was never questioned over this alleged and improbable serious criminal activity.
    4) A private company had minute by minute intelligence on the Manchurian Candidate scheme and all the indictable illegal activity that was going on, which the CIA/NSA/GCHQ/MI6 did not have, despite their specific tasking and enormous technical, staff and financial resources amounting between them to over 150,000 staff and the availability of hundreds of billons of dollars to do nothing but this.
    5) A private western company is able to run a state level intelligence operation in Russia for years, continually interviewing senior security sources and people.. ..original article here
    https://www.craigmurray.or

    Jan 15th, 2017 - 08:05 pm - Link - Report abuse +2
  • ElaineB

    @ Paragon

    You seem to be remarkable naive to believe that the Russians have nothing on Trump. Ignore the sex tape stuff - though given Trump's past behaviour it is reasonable plausible - it is Trump's financial dealings in Russia that are the problem.

    I don't think the mainstream media has rushed to the conclusions you express; quite the opposite. And to bring up something like the Hitler Diaries as a comparison is just silly.

    You seem terribly keen to establish that 1) Trump is squeaky clean, 2) The Russians have nothing on Trump and 3) An alliance between Russia and the U.S. will not have a negative impact on the U.K.. I disagree with all three points.

    We shall see,

    Jan 15th, 2017 - 08:27 pm - Link - Report abuse -2
  • Paragon

    @ ElaineB
    Never said Trump was clean, but more like fake news
    I look upon a new opportunity for the UK and Russia with the arrival of Trump, but only time will tell. most US presidents rarely full fill their election promises Obama being a good example recently
    The article in question was written by Craig Murry ex British Ambassador and career Diplomat
    Read the full article https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/01/hitler-diaries-mark-ii-hope-changed-mattress/

    Jan 15th, 2017 - 08:39 pm - Link - Report abuse +2
  • ElaineB

    @ Paragon

    I don't click links but I know Craig Murray well. Did you read his book about his time as British Ambassador in Uzbekistan? Maybe you saw the spoof 'Ambassadors'? Very funny and very true. Have you been to Russia or any of the Stans? If so you will get the jokes. Spying on Westerners is an every day occurrence. That the Russians have some leverage on Trump is highly likely especially as he has no filter on what he says or does.

    I disagree that that an alliance between the U.S. and Russia will be good news for the U.K..

    I don't understand your comment about Trump being fake news. Fake News is the new buzz phrase for propaganda. You don't think there was propaganda about Clinton? Even Trump admits the Russians were behind that.

    Jan 15th, 2017 - 09:26 pm - Link - Report abuse -3
  • Englander

    The standard of reporting is really poor these days.
    Too often we get fed opinion dressed up as fact.
    The BBC has been going down hill for a number of years.
    Even so it is still better than the appalling RT.

    Jan 15th, 2017 - 09:27 pm - Link - Report abuse +3
  • Paragon

    @ElaineB
    Call it what you like Fake News, Propaganda, Invented News, all used to control public opinion
    No never been to any of the Stans but spent time in Romania and Bulgaria a few years ago, There by holds a tail of the Russians trading oil with Israel ( Oil that was meant for Egypt lol ) under the table as it were but I wont go into my personal experiences on here lol
    Have just started reading his new book Sikunder Barnes which has its funny moments

    As regards Trump and his Russian investments it has been commented that it looks like he was getting money OUT of Russia and not the other way around he was always interested in Russian money to invest in his developments around the world, You have to take a balanced view My verdict on Trump is wait and see as some of his appointments look like nothing much is going to change

    Jan 15th, 2017 - 10:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • The Voice

    Meanwhile… £426,000 each: Our aid package to Mutiny on Bounty islanders! http://dailym.ai/2ivjklU

    Not the only islanders living off Voicy's taxes! And then theres St Helena especially that airport :-)

    Jan 15th, 2017 - 11:04 pm - Link - Report abuse -1
  • Fidel_CasTroll

    Ah where are the anti-argies? See I was right! People told me, no it's just we hate CFK! Really.

    And what here? To add to all the business intimidation, bullying style of talking, protectionism, and populist speeches people berated CFK for, here is Trump taking yet another step in his cloning process.... insulting the media and threatening actions against it? Just like WHO????

    Where is everyone denouncing the new CFK of the north?

    That's right, hypocrites the lot of you!

    Jan 16th, 2017 - 12:47 am - Link - Report abuse -4
  • Hepatia

    The irony! A British Socialist and a British state run government propaganda organ join together to complain about “fake news”.

    Jan 16th, 2017 - 03:40 am - Link - Report abuse -5
  • Marcos Alejandro

    “Labour and BBC warn on risks of being infected by contagion of fake news stories”

    They heard about MercoP ..

    Jan 16th, 2017 - 04:10 am - Link - Report abuse -5
  • DemonTree

    Why do people have such a problem with the BBC? We have Paragon and Hepatia saying it's a propaganda arm of the government, Briton saying it's a propaganda arm for Brussels, and Bisley saying it's trying to promote socialist policy. A nice set of contradictory claims, clearly SOMEONE is being overly paranoid!

    The BBC had this report before the election and didn't publish it because it was unverified. So much for promoting fake news.

    And Wikileaks could have chosen to publish this instead of the DNC emails before the election. Presumably that wouldn't have served their purpose though.

    @FC
    Trump has been insulting the media and threatening action against it all through his campaign. If people didn't care before they are not going to suddenly start caring now. Many of his voters like him for it, since the media is powerful and tells them things they don't want to hear.

    @MA
    Which stories on MP are fake? Seems to me this website is more like traditional outlets on relying on spin and controlling what gets reported in order to give a certain slant to the news. I haven't seen any stories that were wholly invented.

    Jan 16th, 2017 - 10:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • The Voice

    Wrong Marcos, they have been listening to you, Hepatitit, Stink and his puppet. And then reading the truth on the BBC!

    Jan 16th, 2017 - 01:51 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Briton

    The BBC has been proved to be biased over the referendum has it not,

    it is also receiving millions from the EU, is it not,
    this is a state owned corporation by the taxpayers,

    the BBC does not need money from the EU, its very own rules state that it must be mentioned and indorsed where poss.,

    but of course that my opinion,
    but feel free to tell us all why the BBC is so great lately in its reporting abt the UK ,
    great programmes but bad reporting,
    I could of course be wrong...

    Trump,
    wait and see what happens in the coming weeks/months

    Fake stories, that may or may not be the [ in ] thing, but surely somebody has to report or upload the story,
    surely they can be identified.

    Hepatia
    needy to be committed to the asylum as soon as, before he drags us all along with him...lol

    Jan 16th, 2017 - 08:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • :o))

    This is a part of the “Survival-Game”!

    The Media primarily wants the clicks, hits & visits to their pages. They do so effectively by publishing items which can draw the maximum attention - what they want the readers to read, to spread it around.

    Jan 17th, 2017 - 06:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0

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