Once the province of supermarket tabloids, intentionally false news is having a big cultural moment -- or possibly something more dangerous and permanent -- in today's hyper-partisan world. Not coincidentally, Oxford Dictionaries chose "post-truth" as its 2016 Word of the Year. Our panel examines the consequences of living in an age of politicized truth, "alternative facts" and selective reality.
Is fake news a healthy challenge or existential threat to traditional news organizations?
What role should Facebook and Google -- two giant media portals -- have in solving this?
Bogus information has always been with us, so why is the culture embracing it so readily now?
Moderator
Willow Bay, Dean, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Speakers
Rebecca Blumenstein, Deputy Managing Editor, New York Times
Campbell Brown, Head of News Partnerships, Facebook
Stephen Hayes, Editor-in-Chief, The Weekly Standard
Scott McClellan, Vice President, Communications, Seattle University; Former White House Press Secretary
Jon Steinberg, CEO, Cheddar