The Facts Are True, the News Is Fake

In the wake of the 2016 US elections, Americans’ trust in the mass media has reached a historic low – for good reason, says world-renowned essayist and maverick thinker Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Those familiar with Taleb’s work know of his disdain for journalists (along with bankers and academics). This essay is yet another jab at a favorite straw man, but Taleb makes some intriguing points. Social media, he says, are restoring a more organic exchange of information that people have enjoyed for millennia. Taleb goes on to explain what ancient Talmudic and Christian scholars can teach modern society about “the art of disagreement.” getAbstract recommends Taleb’s short think piece to media professionals and information consumers of all stripes.