Misinformation can cause harm

The term fake news is ubiquitous, but what it it?

Now we have a perfect example.

Last week, at a medical appointment, my husband was informed, by his health care provider, that Fox News reported that Seattle was in chaos with looting and burning.

We tried to check it out by watching a Seattle television station and reading The Seattle Times online, but neither source mentioned such events.

Later that night the online Seattle Times ran a story, “Fox News runs digitally altered images in coverage of Seattle’s protests.”

Fox News had photo-shopped pictures from different dates and places to give the impression of looting in Seattle.

Fox also ran a photo of “crazy Seattle” showing fires and looting, but it was a photo of Minneapolis, not Seattle.

Fox pulled their fake news after a conversation with The Seattle Times.

In these tumultuous times, please double and triple check your information before passing it along.

Misinformation can cause real harm.

Just think of the terrible consequences it unleashed on the visitors in Forks.

Norma Turner

Port Angeles