ANALYSIS
FORSUBSCRIBERS
Misinformation

Fakes, slop, distortions and spin: How the media environment made this Trump assassination attempt unbelievable

In a midterm election year, fears of an unreliable information environment have become more acute with each falsehood embraced by mainstream audiences.
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09:39
 
Distorted image of Trump
Leila Register / NBC News; Getty Images

In the minutes, hours and days following Saturday’s interrupted White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, Americans were inundated by falsehoods and conspiracy theories from nearly every flank. The speed with which slop and junk sputtered forth has experts worried that audiences may be growing jaded and apathetic in the face of clear distortions.