The discussion kicked off with the trio recognizing that fake news means different things to different people. Some perceive\u00a0it as politicians spouting \u201calternative facts,\u201d while others recognize it as news outlets running news with bias or unverified information.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether it\u2019s happening in the government, in advocacy groups or even just lone wolfs that think it\u2019s cute, (fake news) is everywhere,\u201d Dobbs said.<\/p>\n
Gill discussed statistics surrounding trust for news sources in readers, as well as perceived bias. He pointed out that 43% of the nation\u2019s news<\/p>\n consumers have an unfavorable opinion of the media. Additionally, liberal voters had a more favorable opinion than conservative ones.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we should be worried about is the inability to determine what went through verification,\u201d Gill said.<\/p>\n Mikkelson then took the floor and discussed his website. Snopes began as a hobby for Mikkelson.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was supposed to be a place where people could find stuff like whether Walt Disney was actually frozen when he died,\u201d Mikkelson said. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n However, as the media grew and political reporting became a major part of journalistic coverage, Snopes became a source for people to turn to during the sensationalization of the news. For example, Snopes debunked the theory that Vice President Mike Pence ever openly advocated for gay conversion therapy<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore the election, most of the media coverage seemed to be anti-democrat,\u201d Mikkelson noted. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty much equal now between the two.\u201d<\/p>\n The program then opened up for a question-and-answer, where topics like local news, yellow journalism and verification apps like NewsGuard<\/a> came up.<\/p>\n Perhaps the most important part of the evening came about when Dobbs recognized the state of journalism and the role that it can play in fake news.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is coming from a journalist, the quality of reporting, writing and editing has gone downhill.\u201d<\/p>\n The next Vail Symposium event will be a two-part discussion of the growing importance of Asia. The programs will take place at the Donovan Pavillion in Vail at 6 p.m. on Jan. 23 and 24. Tickets can be purchased at http:\/\/www.vailsymposium.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arts & Entertainment Editor Nate Day can be reached at 970-748-2932 or nday@vaildaily.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Symposium-VDN-011119-1-1-325x325.jpg\")
Recommended Stories For You<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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