Why are false political claims repeated in headlines without challenge?

[SpidersAreShitheads]

I’ll preface this by saying that I get very irritated by blatantly false reporting, even if it’s in favour of whoever I’m supporting.

The US announcement about their counter blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has been fact-checked as false. And yet, it was all over the news last night being reported as “no ships getting through” which is an outright lie.

I’ve attached a screenshot of the factcheck.

I suppose really that nothing CAN be done. Trump has always had a shaky relationship with the truth and this is just more of the same. And of course it’s not only Trump; let’s not mention the bollocks written on the side of the Brexit bus….

It’s just really shitty that lots of people will get their politics and news by glancing at a headline or listening to the News at Ten etc. And when there are false claims being bandied around that aren’t being challenged or contradicted, it creates a false narrative.

It’s the kind of propaganda that the west has historically accused the corrupt countries from engaging in.

It’s beginning to feel like that David Mitchell sketch “are we the bad guys?” 🤦🏻‍♀️

That screen clip you posted is challenging what CENTCOM says. It says ships appear to have gotten through then says despite this, CENTCOM says .......

In any case, what anyone says is news. The news is the exact words they use, not if it is propaganda or not. If Trump was to say the earth is flat, that would be the news and should be reported.

Yes you can report that Trump says the earth is flat but ethical balanced reporting would require the broadcaster/paper to state that that is a false claim. In the case of something less patently absurd a good broadcaster would say something along the lines that his statement was contrary to the evidence or that the consensus is that that is a false claim. In many cases the broadcaster/publication would explain why its false.

Yes, sorry, I wasn’t clear.

I agree - that screenshot shows that it’s been fact-checked and found to be false.

What I was saying was that this isn’t being represented in the main headlines or on the news being broadcast. The BBC have fact-checked the US claims, found them to be lies, but still in the main report Trump’s words - without this bit of journalistic research.

So if you read the background fact checker articles on the BBC, you’ll discover it’s a lie - this is where this article was tucked away. But if you just read the headline articles or watch the news on TV, there’s nothing to say that Trump’s claims are not true.

Exactly as @SharonEllis says, no issue reporting the words but surely there should be balanced reporting when those “facts” are known to be false? The fact-check info should be presented front and centre when politicians are spewing nonsense.

I think these latest claims by Trump just really shocked me - I don’t know why, we’ve been subjected to this kind of propaganda for ages. Not just Trump although he is particularly bad.

So you can't provide an example, because you are talking about tv broadcast news.

Is this just a BBC thing, or do you think all the networks do it ? I don't watch BBC news so I can't comment really. So you think the BBC TV news is acting as a propaganda outlet for Trump ?

I know what did piss me off with the mainstream news I see is how they sanitised his "TRUTHS". I suspect because they were offensive to some. But I think they should defo report his madness in full, word for word.

Labour in Wales put out a Facebook post that Reform in Wales were going to privatise the NHS. I saw this after watching question time on BBC news with the leader of Reform saying that as he categorically is NOT going to outsource or privatise NHS Wales and saying to Plaid and Labour leaders that he was fed up of them repeatedly stating this lie. I’m not sure who I will be voting for but I don’t think politicians of any party should be allowed to lie.

I don't watch a great deal of different news channels - I'm usually watching BBC News 24. However, when I have seen news on the other channels, I can't say that they're much better. I think they're all relatively lazy when it comes to reporting, to a greater or lesser degree.

I think, on balance, why I was particularly outraged by this was because BBC had fact-checked the claims themselves and KNEW that they weren't true. So for the BBC to then report the US claims verbatim on their main news broadcast on TV without any qualification just felt outrageous.

When I see news items on Iran or similar countries, the reporters are usually quick to point out that claims haven't been verified. And that's because we know that these countries are not always truthful and use propaganda to try and advance their agenda.

It just strikes me that the US is doing exactly that now - they've become the thing that we've always been so critical of in other countries. I think it's gone beyond an exaggeration - it's just outright lying now.

I quite liked the fact that news channels broadcast Trump's insane, expletive-laden Easter speech - I was quite surprised by that as I thought for certain it would be censored and sanitised. As you say, I think it helps for people to hear the full extent of his madness. I very rarely listen to a full speech by Trump because it's not good for my blood pressure but whenever I do, I"m struck by just how incoherent he is.

I don't think there's a pro-Trump agenda at all - quite the opposite in fact. It's getting harder for anyone bar the most fervent of the MAGA devotees to defend his ridiculous behaviour. I suspect it's just lazy/fearful reporting. As I say, it's not just Trump this relates to but often to UK politics too.

I'm not qualified to discuss Reform policies in great depth because nothing in this world could induce me to vote for them. Quite aside from anything else, I think they're full of hot air and wouldn't have a clue how to actually run government.

What I would also say is that Farage has regularly talked about bringing in a different model for the NHS, including insurance-backed schemes. Farage has argued repeatedly that the NHS needs a "fundamental" restructure - which I'd suggest wouldn't bode well for keeping the NHS free to use. I suspect that the instance you're describing above may well be because regional leaders aren't aware of the full scope of what Farage is planning, hence the disparity in messaging.

Regardless of that though, I agree with you 100%. Each party deserves to be heard and there should be consequences for them lying to constituents. Whether I agree with a party's policitics or not is irrelevant - all politicians should be held to account for lying.

I think Brexit got voted through because a section of the public believed the (outright) lies. I firmly believe that if the truth had been told and Brexit had still won, there would be a lot less resentment among Remainers.

The Reform leader acknowledged Nigel Farage’s views but said those views will not apply to Welsh NHS. I suppose the point I am making is that out of the leaders for the parties in Wales, one or more of them are outright lying to get votes. We won’t know if they are truthful unless they are in power and actually deliver outcomes for people. How do we even know who to vote for if we can’t trust them? People were lied to about Brexit for sure.

The Reform leader IS Nigel Farage. Are you saying he acknowledged his own views?

Sensational headlines engage attention...in the headlines. Many people then stop there without continuing to hear/read the rest.
I'm hearing more and more of people being so fatigued by the news that they're not engaging at any level any more.

There’s loads of critique of what Trump says! I’ve no idea what politics programmes you view or listen to but bbc correspondents tell you what is really happening all the time. If you don’t watch, you don’t know. Radio 4 and 5 have analysis every day!

No, this is Wales and Wales has a Reform party leader who will not be Nigel Farage as Wales has a devolved government.

I don’t mean politics shows. People that watch/listen to those are already engaged in politics and are typically pretty switched on.

I’m referencing the main news on TV where people just catch up on the day’s news. That’s where claims are being presented without any kind of journalistic input to inform viewers that what’s being said doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

People who aren’t especially interested in current affairs will be happy with a brief overview from the main news. And in cases like this, the news is going to leave them with a false impression of what’s going on - and not for the first time.

That will be the OFCOM rules then, developed from the various UK broadcasting and communication acts. Section 5 of the Ofcom code:

Section five: Due impartiality and due accuracy (ofcom.org.uk)

"(Rule 5.4 applies to television and radio services (except restricted services) and to BBC ODPS.)

5.4: Programmes in the services (listed above) must exclude all expressions of the views and opinions of the person providing the service on matters of political or industrial controversy and matters relating to current public policy (unless that person is speaking in a legislative forum or in a court of law). Views and opinions relating to the provision of programme services are also excluded from this requirement."

Broadcast news headlines in the UK has to be factual only with no opinion or bias. Some printed news can include these.

Your example above. Reporting what CENTCOM says is true and factual reporting of the news. BBC analysis of shipping data is not. in terms of headline broadcast news. But it is ok for printed or broadcast discussion.

So when you say "I’m referencing the main news on TV where people just catch up on the day’s news. That’s where claims are being presented without any kind of journalistic input to inform viewers that what’s being said doesn’t stand up to scrutiny."

Yes. And that's why the ofcom rules are there. News at 6 headlines etc are not allowed journalistic input , because that potentially strays from true and factual reporting. But move beyond the headlines, and the rules change a bit.

As a matter of interest, the US used to have similar rules, but Reagan scrapped them. And the result was Fox news etc. And Fox in the US are known for presenting opinion as factual and unbiased news.

The US Naval blockade is specific to Iranian ships and ports only. They weren't claiming to have blocked the entire Strait. Both Trump and Iran have confirmed that the Strait is open for other commercial vessels.

There's evidence of a small number of Iran-linked vessels crossing the Strait, but the US claims they were turned back. The BBC fact check has some evidence supporting that, and has no evidence of those ships leaving the strait and entering open water. .

The goal of the blockade is to prevent trade by stopping commercial vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports, so it's not inaccurate (as far as anyone can tell) to claim that nothing has got through.

Regardless, the reporting of a claim isn't speaking to its veracity. People who skim the news or only read headlines will obviously be less well informed than anyone paying attention.

Agree 100% and these blatant lies have had me seething since Brexit tbh. Half my family voted leave on the basis of that bus and every time Brexit is mentioned, every single one of them are ashamed that they fell for the bollocks.

I reckon the UK population should crowd fund and, if every one donated a couple of quid, we should as a nation take these lying politicians to court and fucking Sue them for their lies. One by one, every time.

I would have avoided this thread, based on the headline, as too complex, but you happened to mention the U.S. as an example...

I agree, it's infuriating. Not only that but is creates the exact kind of uncertainty and mistrust that Putin wishes on all of us.

Unfortunately, U.S. is stuck with a president, and his minions, who lie at an unprecedented rate. As an American, I check with a handful of reliable sources I can trust - plus which every time Trump brags, there's about a 90% chance that some part of it is a lie.

Yesterday, in two places in another forum, there was a wild posting about Trump having demanded the nuclear codes. I urged both places to calm down, noting that the only source was The Mirror, and that didn't seem enough to go on. By today, the story seems to have disappeared, at least for the moment.

The moral is, try to get people to avoid internet feeds, and go to good sources - preferably newspapers.