[whybroke]

Casting doubt on what constitutes a fact is core to the maintenance of power in a dictatorship.

Those who now believe there is an equivalence between far-right propaganda (some of it originating form a hostile power) and the NYT, are a lost cause. It is identical to equating the bulk of the scientific community to a few climate change deniers. You obfuscate your own view of reality.

You will find that individuals emerging from behind the iron curtain were more stunned by the accuracy of information and the absence of a surreal reality in the west than by anything else.

As an aside, it's interesting the stunning amount of interest in guaranteeing the wide circulation of utterly false propaganda on a site that instantly mob censors any discussion of Russian hacking. A site called Hacker News (apparently ironically).

[rokosbasilisk]

Dictatorships also commonly decide what is fake news, not just casting doubt on truth. Thats why they limit media companies and control the news so closely.

This fake news narrative seems far more comfortable in a dictatorship then a free country.

The new yorks times was clearly pushing an agenda this election which is what ruined its reputation and made it on par with various propaganda sites. A poor decision which has ruined its credibilty.

[whybroke]

If accurate information is in fact one sided, it will look like the purveyor is pushing an agenda.

And in fact every competent news source including the Atlantic, WaPo, CNN, the Guardian, Forbes, the BBC, NHK and the Economist reported the same things.

Free societies decry false propaganda and always have. Authoritarians decry accurate information as equivalent and any information contrary to their goals.

But unfortunately there is no force on earth to dissuade the indoctrinated that there is no world wide conspiracy out to get them. That their facebook feed and extremest websites have no connection to reality. Particularly if they have found a charismatic leader to focus on who has no interest in accuracy.

>...what ruined its reputation and made it on par with various propaganda sites...

The is false. Generally, a thing does not become true simply because someone tweets it.

[rokosbasilisk]

Free society isnt pushing a false news narrative, that is the mainstream media in its death throes.

The google trend analysis shows how artificial the fake news narrative is.

As for the new york times, they published a plea for subscribers, large losses, and even down sized their real estate. That is all very strange for a once trusted institution, outside of our hackernews bubble there is real sense the times is now just propaganda.

[whybroke]

Given that the topic is about a German government action, it's safe to say it very much is a concern for free societies and not a product of US media. And therefore I fear you conjectures about google trends, the Times financials and a conspiracy of failing media to gain market share is as flawed as it is distracting.

>...outside of our hackernews bubble there is real sense the times is now just propaganda...

And that is exactly backwards, unless you're living in a especially un-innovative and low achievement area of the country. If so suggest you'll have more success moving to a city with bright people than pinning your financial hopes on a demagogue.

[rokosbasilisk]

I wish that was true, but I live in PA, and the hitjobs on bernie sanders really ruined the times credibility with alot of young people.

Im in college in philly. and hear moaning about the mainstream media from people on both sides of the political spectrum. Credibilty is shot for my generation. Times are changing.