fact
fakt/
- a thing that is indisputably the case
Fact: The Buffalo Bills have no shot at being in the Super Bowl.
Alternative Fact: The Buffalo Bills are going to the Super Bowl.
A lot is being made of Kelly Anne Conway suggesting White House press secretary Sean Spicer was using “alternative facts” when asked about his claims on the size of the crowd at President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
On the surface, it appears to be another silly issue of the Trump administration not liking being told their event wasn’t as good as prior ones and how the media is trying to delegitimize his election. There are many larger issues out there like health care, NAFTA, Supreme Court nominations and our relationship with Russia. Spending time arguing about the size of the crowd seems pointless and petty.
The problem I have with this is the Trump administration seems has no problem blatantly lying to the face of the American people. Smart communications persons try to set the narrative and not get sucked into a conversation like that. Are “alternative facts” what you want people talking about? It’s inconsequential, and outside of die-hard Trump supporters, won’t change anyone’s mind. It’s mind boggling to even go down that rabbit hole.
Now I get the news media is an easy target and that a certain segment of America enjoys watching them get a tongue lashing. If I had to guess, I would say their approval rating is around the same as the congress, but it still seems to me to be a fight you don’t need to have.
So where do we go from here? I suggest the classic “Caveat Emptor” (buyer beware). Maybe I’m cynical, but I don’t trust either side.