Thread by @anildash

Here’s the pattern: media amplifies the message that undermines regressive efforts, then later quietly corrects the story, but the public narrative is already cemented. Here it is with labor reports, where early, (wildly wrong) estimates are treated as fact.

https://twitter.com/rortybomb/status/1456603806016413700

Here it is with blockchain triumphalism, a recurring pattern of treating false press releases as fact, just long enough for pump & dump profiteers to make their money.

https://twitter.com/s_m_i/status/1456598456521404421

Here it is with “Facebook” ending some kinds of facial surveillance… but Meta is going to keep doing it.

https://twitter.com/dj_link/status/1456586464804884490

Loud Lie, Quiet Correction is doubly effective because those in power who are most likely to object to the loud lie are still deluding themselves that fact-checking has any effect in slowing narratives. That’s almost never the case.

Most media outlets (not counting right-wing media, which is fully captured by fascist propaganda now) pat themselves on the back for publishing corrections, valuing their virtuous process over the real-world impact of their initial inaccuracy. Makes them very easy to manipulate.

A small, extremist constituency runs everything by gaming the refs, faking injury on the field, and taking the win. The only response permitted by the opposing power is to point to the game tape after the game is already lost, and offer a self-satisfied “well, actually…”

For those of you who work at media outlets that strive to be credible, it may be helpful to frame it to your bosses this way: your publication amplifies content with an algorithm that is as easy for bad actors to game as Facebook’s news feed is. Are they appropriately responding?