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Opinion

Editorial: Staggering levels of disinformation after recent political events cause more dissent

We'd like to hear from you. Email us at editorials@koco.com.

Opinion
Editorial: Staggering levels of disinformation after recent political events cause more dissent

We'd like to hear from you. Email us at editorials@koco.com.

KOCO FIVE NEWS WILL BE RIGHT BACK. NOW A KOCO FIVE EDITORIAL HERE IS PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER BRENT HENSLEY. IT HAS BEEN AN UNPRECEDENTED TIME OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKENDS IN OUR NATION’S HISTORY. AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND THE CURRENT NOMINEE FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. ONE WEEK LATER, PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN EXITED THE RACE FOR PRESIDENT AT THE LATEST POINT OF ANY STANDING PRESIDENT IN HISTORY. AND WITHIN DAYS, VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS IS THE PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE ATTACK ON PRESIDENT TRUMP. WAS TERRIBLE. CLEAR MISTAKES WERE MADE CAUSING THE HEAD OF THE SECRET SERVICE TO RESIGN FOLLOWING EACH OF THESE EVENTS, THE AMOUNT OF DISINFORMATION AND MISINFORMATION WAS STAGGERING. THE PRIMARY CULPRIT WAS SOCIAL MEDIA. WILDLY FALSE CLAIMS RECEIVED MILLIONS OF VIEWS AND SHARES, WHICH DID NOTHING TO HELP IN REPORTING THE FACTS. IT ONLY SERVED TO CAUSE DISSENT AND CONFUSION DURING THESE TIMES, IT’S IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY NEWS ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU CAN TRUST IN TIMES LIKE THESE, YOU CAN DEPEND ON KOCO TO BE THAT TRUSTED SOURCE. FACTS TAKE TIME TO VERIFY, PUT INTO CONTEXT, AND THEN REPORT THOSE FACTS. RUMOR AND WILD SPECULATION BY THOSE SEEKING CLICKS AND SHARES SERVED TO ONLY CONFUSE AND DISTRACT FROM THE FACTS. AS YOU SCROLL THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, IT’S NOT EASY TO KNOW WHAT’S REAL AND WHAT’S NOT. YOU CAN DEPEND ON US TO KNOW WHAT IS REAL AND TO REPORT IT FAIRLY AND ACCURATELY ON AIR AND IN SOCIAL MEDIA. OUR NEWSROOM HAS A CREDO THAT WE LIVE BY. FIRST IS DESIRED, RIGHT? IS REQUIRED. I KNOW THAT YOU DEPEND ON US TO REPORT THE NEWS ACCURATELY, AND THAT IS WHAT WE STRIVE FOR. EVERY DAY. I’D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU. EMAIL ME AT EDITORIALS AT KOCO.COM.
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Opinion
Editorial: Staggering levels of disinformation after recent political events cause more dissent

We'd like to hear from you. Email us at editorials@koco.com.

It has been an unprecedented time over the last two weekends in our nation's history.Two weekends ago, there was an assassination attempt on former President and current Republican nominee Donald Trump. One week later, President Joe Biden exited the presidential race at the latest point of any standing president in history.Within days, Vice President Kamala Harris became the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party.An attack on Trump was terrible, and clear mistakes were made. They caused the head of the Secret Service to resign.Following each of these events, the amount of disinformation and misinformation was staggering. The primary culprit was social media. Wildly false claims received millions of views and shares, which did nothing to help in reporting the facts.It only serves to cause more dissent and confusion.During these times, it's important to identify news organizations that you can trust. I hope KOCO 5 is one of those trusted organizations you can depend on.Facts take time to verify, put into context and then report those facts. Rumor and wild speculation by those seeking clicks and shares serve to only confuse and distract us from the facts.As you scroll through social media, it is not easy to know what's real and what's not. You can depend on KOCO 5 to know what's real and to report it fairly and accurately on-air and social media.Our newsroom has a credo that we live by: "First is desired. Right is required."I know that you depend on us to report the news accurately, and that is what we strive for every day.I'd like to hear from you. Email me at editorials@koco.com.

It has been an unprecedented time over the last two weekends in our nation's history.

Two weekends ago, there was an assassination attempt on former President and current Republican nominee Donald Trump. One week later, President Joe Biden exited the presidential race at the latest point of any standing president in history.

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Within days, Vice President Kamala Harris became the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party.

An attack on Trump was terrible, and clear mistakes were made. They caused the head of the Secret Service to resign.

Following each of these events, the amount of disinformation and misinformation was staggering. The primary culprit was social media. Wildly false claims received millions of views and shares, which did nothing to help in reporting the facts.

It only serves to cause more dissent and confusion.

During these times, it's important to identify news organizations that you can trust. I hope KOCO 5 is one of those trusted organizations you can depend on.

Facts take time to verify, put into context and then report those facts. Rumor and wild speculation by those seeking clicks and shares serve to only confuse and distract us from the facts.

As you scroll through social media, it is not easy to know what's real and what's not. You can depend on KOCO 5 to know what's real and to report it fairly and accurately on-air and social media.

Our newsroom has a credo that we live by: "First is desired. Right is required."

I know that you depend on us to report the news accurately, and that is what we strive for every day.

I'd like to hear from you. Email me at editorials@koco.com.