As much as I hate the term,
here’s yet another blog about “fake news,” only because the bail insurance
companies don’t have the real kind.
I was reading this this story
about so-called fake news, and it focuses on a particular city in Veles,
Yugoslavia, that has made fake news a sort-of cottage industry. According to
the story, over 100 bogus websites were tracked to this one city, mostly run by
young twenty-somethings hoping to make a few bucks when people merely click to
read past the provocative headline. For those of you not paying attention, fake
news is generally described as propaganda consisting of misleading information
designed either to spread a message or make a few bucks. You make money by
“baiting” people with a sensational or provocative headline, and then by getting them to
click on it. It’s called “clickbait.”
This particular article focuses
on one of the young dudes who creates fake news, but also on a guy named Mirko
Ceselkoski, who the article calls the “clickbait coach,” and who used to
specialize in websites spreading celebrity gossip and discussing muscle cars.
Today, Mirko estimates that he helps about 100 youngsters – the article calls
them his “pupils” – operating U.S. political news sites.
But his advice on how to
create those sites is what really caught my eye. He said he tries to teach
people to pick a story that is already trending somewhat, and then make it
sensational, mostly by creating a really shocking headline. “The title is the
most important part,” he said. Then, he said, you need to try to make your
website look professional by mimicking legitimate sites with rolling banners
and phrases like “breaking news” on them. Apparently the title of the site is
key, too, as many of them use the actual word “news,” which, I suppose, makes
people think they’re, well, legitimate news sites.
And then it hit me! That’s
exactly what the bail insurance companies are doing. The title? Got it – says “U.S.
Bail Reform News,” so it even has the word “news” in it just in case we weren’t
sure. Professional look? Yeah, looks pretty professional and uses the “breaking
news” phrase a lot. Titles of the articles? Here’s one: “San Francisco, CA –
Suspected child molester FREE TO GO after Judge Joseph Quinn overrules bail
setting.” Yep, pretty sensational, and it even names a judge in it so it’s nice
and personal. Of course, the article itself never mentions that the same suspected
molester would also have been FREE TO GO if he had to pay money to a bondsman,
and that if he went out and molested another child, neither he nor the bondsman
would forfeit any money. Details.
So, even though I hate the
phrase “fake news,” I’m going to have to get used to saying it because the bail
insurance companies are now doing it with gusto. And really, this isn’t new.
Back in 2011 or so, I documented a speech in which a bail insurance guy said he
was putting out information under another group’s title because “we didn’t want
it to look like it came from a bail bonding organization – we wanted it to look
like it came from some neutral, political source.” And just this year, the
insurance companies got caught using another dubious news site to spread
misleading information about New Jersey Bail reform.
By the way, it’s been a while
since I mentioned the greedy weasels doing all this stuff – you know, the ones
who don’t care if poor people stay in jail or if dangerous people pay their way
out. Plus, a couple of them have come and gone, so here are the current members
of ABC:
AIA Surety
American Surety Company
Bankers Surety (Bankers
Financial Corporation)
Black Diamond Insurance
Company
Financial Casualty and Surety
– A new one! Welcome!
Lexington National Insurance
Corporation
Sun Surety Insurance Company
Universal Fire and Casualty
Insurance Company
Whitecap Surety
So, bail insurance dudes, because
your mothers probably taught you not to lie, and because “fake news” is just a
weasel’s way of lying, you get the Weasel Pic!
