[jasontsui]

To some of the older folks on HN - is this a new problem?

The last few years have brought on a whole different type of newsmedia hybrid (the buzzfeeds, huffpos and gawkers) organization that is driven primarily by clicks and do not hold themselves to the standards of traditional print news. While there were dubious options on paper before (Daily Posts, National Enquirers), the internet is far greater venue for propagating bullshit with clickbait headlines. Some of the newer sites I'm seeing people post on Facebook have skipped the truth part altogether, they go straight to fabricating stories. TV has gone the same direction with news-entertainment.

I'm pretty concerned. When its too hard to find signal in all the noise, I'm afraid folks will give up altogether. With Buzzfeed putting out longform articles and NYT putting up quizzes, its already hard to discern who cares about delivering real news and who will do anything for clicks.

But maybe I'm just young (25), and people have always found echo chambers, and yellow journalism is always something we've had to wade through to find the facts. What do you guys think? Has anything actually changed?

[cafard]

To varying degrees this has always been the case. Publishing and distribution is just easier.

[InclinedPlane]

It's not a new problem. If anything I'd say things are better today because good information is so much easier to access.

[squozzer]

Not really, at least on the issue of pot. What passes for news turns out to be the most lopsided propaganda war since Rome v. Carthage.

Now that pot has regained something of a legal tolerance, medical studies will once again, as if on cue, provide the last line of defense for the puritans and productivity fetishers.