Why do people believe what is said in an email?

[Oneeyedvic]

London Mosque - �100 million pounds of taxpayer's money.
(original article and poll taken down) See the Lie here: http://www.woyano.com/view/1624/London-Mosque- --Emails-whipping-up-communal-hatred-to-influe nce-Evening-Standard-online-poll

Government to stop teaching about the Holocaust:
LIE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles /news/news.html?in_article_id=445979&in_page_i d=1770
TRUTH: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6563429.s tm

Both stories have been proven false (and isn't it interesting how they are both come from the Daily Mail)

I'm reminded of Winston Churchill's quote: "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on".

Surely it is even worse now with the internet and emails.

What are people's responsibilities in this technological age - after all it is people with 'the best intentions' who are responsible for the spread of hatred against others.

[libertie]

Some people (like yourself) will no doubt have read or heard about these stories and then did a wee bit of checking to find out if there was indeed any truth in them......particularly if they appeared in the DM! However many others are quite happy to believe anything they read/ hear if it involves anything negative about Muslims, immigration, benefit scroungers blah blah.......

[ruby27]

We believe information that 'fits' with out existing world view, as the additional information acts to reinforce and support our perceptions. Information that challenges our world view either is rejected as nonsense/incorrect etc, or we have to take on the new information and shift and change our thinking to incorporate the new. The latter takes more effort but is far more rewarding.

I am not sure its worse, just more widespread. Even when we lived in small villages, misconceptions and prejudices were rife, even if it was only that the next village was the source of fear.

Our responsibility? Not sure. It seems sensible to be aware that we live in a world where meanings are socially constructed, therefore what is understood, perceived is not an objective reality but a discursive relationship between the observer and the objective. What is truth to me, will be utter biased nonsense to someone else and vice versa.

I suppose we should not endorse or promote any information that may be inflammatory until we have checked the validity of the information. However, I am not sure that is possible.

[Gromit]

There have been quite a few recent questions in the news section, where a simple check has shown the question to be bogus. Even when it is pointed out the story is false, it does not stop others agreeing with it.

The inconvenient fact that these stories are made up, will not deter the people these stories are aimed at from believing and spreading them.

I feel sorry for the people on the receiving end of such trickery. They are being cynically used, and are made to look foolish. Maybe that is the aim?

[carrust]

This joke was in here a few weeks ago.

How do you confuse a Daily Mail reader?

Tell him that asylum seekers kill paedophiles!

Says it all really!!!

[Theland]

There's no smoke without fire, and the muslims worldwide are the greatest cause of terrorism that we see. Added to that is the way our society has changed to such a great extent to accommodate them.
If Ali wants to come into the country and get a job, pay his taxes, and mind his own business, I have no problem with that. I do the same.
I do have a problem when Ali is demanding that piggy banks are made redundant, the BBC begin to say pbuh every time they talk about Alis' paedophile prophet, nativity plays are out of fashion for Alis' feelings, mullahs can parade around Trafalgar Square chanting, "Europe is the cancer, islam is the answer," dressed up as suicide bombers, and calling for the beheading of British citizens.
It's a damn bloody shame, but if these idiots only realised it, a few more pushes, and they will bring the whole house of cards tumbling down on their turbaned heads.
Enochs disciples are waiting in the wings. aka Northern Ireland. Sad but true. Soft Johnny English will only take so much. In my humble opinion.

[Theland]

Hey Gromit - Isn't it time to pick a side?

[Theland]

They want to die for what they believe in. Lets be good hosts.
I will die for what I believe in, how about you?

[Theland]

In the future we are going to need people with balls, not the Guardian tucked under their arm.

[Oneeyedvic]

No smoke without fire....This proves exactly my point. Say a lie often enough and people believe it.

[whiffey]

It's called propaganda.

If the ends justify the means, then I actually agree with it. The objective of ' lie #1' presumably is to hinder or prevent the building of Europe's largest mosque in East London.

If it works, then well and good, and I do not feel the slightest hint of guilt or immorality in saying so.

[paulos66]

Isn't it a bit early to be drinking Theland

[LoftyLottie]

People only buy papers that agree with their views. It obviously pumps up their egos and makes them feel good about themselves. However, the Mail is just so full of untruths and made up stories that it makes me wonder just how much intelligence Daily Mail readers have. It also makes me think how bigotted and full of hate they must be.

However, I must admit to reading it on line sometimes and then turning to a more reputable news source to compare!

[Supernick]

I've just had to inform my customers about 3 articles in the Daily Mail on Saturday that have been withdrawn by the publisher for libel issues. This happens all the time (and to be fair with other tabloids as well). Says it all really.

[youngmafbog]

Go on who apart from the Guardian readers on hear believes the Brown broadcasting Corporation.

Does anyone really know the origin of these, is it possible they government actually puts these things out to guage opinion. Whip up mas histeria and then 'settle' for somehting less because it seems mild in comaprison.

I for one dont trust any of you Guardian readers and no I dont read the mail

[LoftyLottie]

Don't read any Newspapers actually/ But do choose the BBC to read online or listen to TV or Radio news because generally I find it the most factual. Have never read the Guardian in my life.

You have to get news from some source otherwise you wouldn't know what was going on, so I have made an informed choice of where I will get the most factual information. If anyone knows of any other better method I would seriously be interested.

You might as well read The Beano as most of the tabloids out there.

[sp1814]

The problem is that the right wing press is brilliant...really, really brilliant at perpetuating lies.

The Daily Mail is currently the best paper for the the latest anti-Muslim lies.

But The Express is fast catching up.

People believe these lies because the truth is always more complicated than they can be bothered to understand.

Nice black and white issues...don't give 'em any greys.

[fletcher.5]

The DM would provide a more worthwhile service if it were cut into four with a looped piece of string through the top left hand corner.

[prattler]

Up here in Scotland its even worse, Alex Salmond got the post of first minister(completely ruthless political monster) , will take any votes from the minority and try and convince THE MAJORITY we should all be happy together and integrate-'racism has no place in scotland'.basically we have no right to object to what is happening all around us, or we're called racist.This is the man who went to visit mosques after Glasgow Airport was bombed by muslim terrorists to console 'them'!.Did he visit churches, chapels, or try to console the indigenous population?No.This guy needs to be ejected from any position of power, and fast!makes me sick actually.