False Quotes That Spread Like Wildfire on Social Media

False Quotes That Spread Like Wildfire on Social Media

TrumpTL;DR Summary

  • False quote posters, like this one, appear every day on social media, for and against numerous topics and politicians.
  • Snopes says the quote is completely false.
  • FactCheck.org says the quote is false.
  • These posters work because they convey what the poster wants to believe-if you believe it to be true, than it must be true! (Indeed! I linked to Snopes in a reply to the person who posted this and he replied that he would leave it up because he wanted this to be true!)
  • The  message  is parsed in seconds, generating an emotional, gut-level response and then a quick click on the Like or Share button, making for successful and effective propaganda campaign.


I have quite a collection of “false quote propaganda posters” that will be shared here eventually. Hopefully you will learn how to view these posters critically and skeptically before sharing them with others.
People who share propaganda messages like this reveal much about themselves. By sharing among a group of people who may share similar views, the act of sharing reinforces group membership. In other words, its a tool to reinforce one’s social status within the group.

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If I were to run, I’d run as a Republican. They’re the dumbest group of voters in the country.  They love anything on Fox News. I could lie and they’d still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific. People Magazine, 1998.
 

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