Trump is blaming Democrats for separating migrant families at the border. Why this isn't a surprise

[sharedvalues]

1. Headlines that repeat the lie amplify the lie

I know the headline is written by the Post. Somehow headline writers have become the worst at amplifying lies, even as individual reporters are starting to improve.


But this headline is a win for Trump. His goal is to get people to repeat “Democrats separate families”. And he repeats it, and the right wing propaganda media repeats it. And that repetition gets people to believe it.

Repetition gets people to believe lies. It’s subconscious. But it works.


If reporters and papers want to avoid being complicit in amplifying lies, they need to follow the Lakoff advice.
“Start with the truth. Note the lie. Return to the truth.”

A better headline: “Trump’s policy is to separate families at the border. Why he blames Democrats.”

Here’s a good start on the recent twitter debate about how to handle lies:

Link to tweet

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