From an epistemological standpoint, fake news presents an interesting problem. According to the author fake news presents a phenomena which indicates an indifference to the truth. He argues that this phenomena has been allowed to flourish due to the way in which we have set the terms of the "public" epistemology which maintains what it considers "rational" public discourse. The author argues that one potential solution to this problem of fake news is to challenge the public epistemology by including a certain ethical consideration back into its discourse.
Highlights:
- The author urges us to take allegations of fake news seriously. This is because such allegations usually exist with the purpose of marginalising or delegitimising certain views in ways that the views of the powerful seem more legitimate than the news.
- While it is tempting to shift the blame for the existence of fake news on say post-modernists, false balance in the media and the like it doesn't do much to solve the problem itself. Fake news is worrying because at its core it speaks of a certain indifference or insincerity amongst agents in contemporary political debate.
- The author suggests a partial salve to the problem of fake news by challenging the polite way in which we discuss issues pertinent to our politics. We need to make more room for impoliteness when it comes to holding influential people and institutions accountable.