Progressive News Beat-Fighting Fake News: Message was sent out by Professor Robert Watson of Lynn University.

The following message was sent out by Professor Robert Watson of Lynn University. Please take note. and Forward

(From Robert Watson:)

Could you forward this email to your listserves? It is important.

Every day I get emails and calls from folks alleging that Obama said or did something horrific. As I check into the source of the allegations, I find them to be made-up and circulated by fringe organizations. Sometimes individuals who receive these emails innocently – but mistakenly – believe them to be true.

The new social media vehicles are being used to stir up fear and paranoia, and we need to be aware that many folks are making up "news stories" and interviews, and then circulating them online as if they were true. Everyone must be a bit more discerning… and do their homework regarding the legitimacy of these emails and tweets. I am now starting to see the same crazy stories making allegations not only about Obama, but about other Democratic leaders and the Democratic Party. I even received one about me! It attempted to discredit me by claiming I wrote some inaccurate nonsense about the War of 1812… and was so tricky that it took the first few lines of something I did write about the War of 1812, then added all sorts of inaccurate things I never wrote.

To that end, I am attaching another email that is going around. You may have seen it. Many people are asking about the legitimacy of it. The email claims Obama appeared on MEET THE PRESS and said all sorts of alarming things about not loving his country, not honoring the Pledge of Allegiance, and so on. The email, in an attempt to look real, even offers a supposed transcript of Obama's comments and the date of the appearance on the show.

Of course, the problem is that it is 100% untrue. It alleges that Obama appeared on MEET THE PRESS on September 7, 2008. He did appear on the show in 2008; for instance, on May 4 and on July 27. But not on September 7. You can go to the show's website and read the actual/real transcripts of his comments. They are at www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24445160 and at www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25872804, respectively. I have read the full transcripts for every appearance by Obama, and he never even said anything remotely close to the topics alleged, much less the anti-American spewings falsely attributed to him.

The email in question was, it appears, originally posted as satire through a silly "Semi-News" site. But it is being cited and forwarded by conservatives as if it were true. The website "Answers.com" has additional information on this false story. I am forwarding, below, the email that is going around. (Thanks for forwarding this information about the fake interview… So many folks approach me or contact me with fake stories like this. However, although I answer many of the queries and debunk the falsehoods, there simply aren't enough hours in the day to respond to all of them.)

Regards,

Robert

Robert P. Watson, Ph.D., Coordinator of American Studies,Lynn University

CONTACTS

Email: rwatson@lynn.edu

Campus web: www.lynn.edu

Personal web: www.thinkactlead.org

Twitter: professorwatson

Commentary: www.lynnipulse.org

Phone: 561.237.7432 Fax: 561.237.7216

CAMPUS ADDRESS

College of Arts & Sciences, Lynn University, 3601 North Military Trail, Boca Raton, FL 33431