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AirTalk

Facebook’s 'satire' tag and the ambiguity of intention on the Internet

Facebook is among the new sponsors of Cal Poly Pomona’s Western Regional Cyber Defense Competition.
Facebook announced this week that it’s testing out a “satire” tag, which would label articles from parody news sites like The Onion as satire.
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KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images
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Facebook’s 'satire' tag and the ambiguity of intention on the Internet

It’s been said that “sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but the highest form of intelligence,” and now Facebook thinks we need help in understanding the fine art of satire. The social media giant announced this week that it’s testing out a “satire” tag, which would label articles from parody news sites like The Onion as satire.

To be fair, the Internet has made knowing what’s fake news and what’s real news much more difficult, and even the most finely tuned of us have fallen victim to thinking that a fake headline is real.

Do you think the "satire" label is a good idea? 

Guest: 

Melissa Dahl, senior writer for New York Magazine, who wrote about why the satire designation is necessary on Facebook