"Verification In Reverse"

It's essential to far-right's creation of an alternate universe: Take an established fact and introduce doubt about it.

Jay Rosen, an associate professor of journalism at New York University, speaking to MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, about what the reality-bending machinations of the far right:

Verification is taking something that might be true and trying to nail it down with facts, evidence, experts. Verification in reverse is when you take something that’s already been nailed down and you introduce doubt about it. That releases a lot of energy, causes commotion, leads to controversy, leads to culture wars — and with this energy, you can power your political movement — MAGA. Because MAGA works this way, the Republican party looks less and less like a normal, traditional political party. Because MAGA works this way, the conservative movement needs its own media system — and I think this is a hidden factor in the history [of conservative media] you are recounting for us.

Speaking about this phenominon back in 2012, Rosen added:

The phenomenon of “verification in reverse” poses a special problem for journalists. On the one hand, they are supposed to report what people are saying. They are supposed to bring us the news of controversies, protests, disagreements. “Conflict makes news,” and all that. On the other hand, verification is their business. If they cannot support that, they cannot support themselves or their users. They are socially useless, in fact, if they cannot stand up for verification.

These clips offer an excellent history lesson, as did Maddow’s extraordinary podcast ULTRA. I apologize for any overlap with these clips.

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