September 2018
By Chris Elkins Denisonforum.org (Recently) it was reported that Malaysia repealed its “fake news” law. This Asian nation is one of the first countries in the world to reconsider how to control this societal nemesis. But, aren’t you already wondering whether that story is also fake news? Since Missourians live in the Show-Me State, I wonder how they’re dealing with this dilemma. Is seeing believing? There’s a scam going around currently where people are called by someone claiming to be an official with the IRS. That “official” claims that the victim owes a bogus tax bill. Often, the victim ARE YOU LISTENING? By Paula McBride
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is conned into sending cash through wire transfers or prepaid debit cards to settle a fake debt. The IRS has told the public time and again that they will not use this kind of tactic. In an age when pictures are photoshopped, stories are spun, and anonymous slander is rampant, who or what can you believe? Last week I received a notice by email that a wellknown bank had sent over $1,000 out of my account to a named payee. The email
asked me to verify the transaction by replying to the email. Trouble is, I don’t have any accounts at that particular bank. Upon closer inspection of the email, the bank’s logo was not authentic, and the email address of the sender was in no way connected to that bank. Now, more than ever, caveat emptor: buyer beware. Fake news is everywhere.
“In an age when pictures are photoshopped, stories are spun, and anonymous slander is rampant, who or what can you believe?”
YOUR 2 CENTS What Ministries Do You Support?
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Fake news is not new But, fake news is NOT new. In 1981, Janet Leslie Cooke won a Pulitzer Prize for an article titled “Jimmy’s World” written for the Washington Post. It was later discovered to be fake. After admitting she had fabricated the story, she returned the prize. What persuades you that something is true? Are we all “Missourians” at heart? Is seeing that effective? (Think Photoshop.) For centuries we’ve tried to understand persuasion. Rhetorical appeals are sometimes classified as ethos, pathos, and logos, according to Aristotle. How are you persuaded to believe something?
Continue on page 14 A STORY OF FRIENDSHIP, TRAGEDY & TRUST IN THE LORD By Clay Maynard
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