[KARAH RUCKER]

WHAT IS A “CHEAP FAKE” VIDEO?

THE DEFINITION –

DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK.

IT’S BECOME THE LATEST POLITICALLY POLARIZING POINT OF CONVERSATION THIS ELECTION CYCLE.

LEFT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS ARE CALLING CHEAP FAKES “MISLEADING VIDEOS” USED BY THE RIGHT TO MISREPRESENT PRESIDENT BIDEN. 

RIGHT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS SAY “CHEAP FAKES” IS A TERM MADE UP BY THE LEFT TO PROTECT THE PRESIDENT’S IMAGE AMID A SERIES OF VIRAL BIDEN VIDEOS.

THE TERM REALLY TAKING OFF AFTER A PRESS CONFERENCE –

WHERE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN PIERRE ADDRESSED THE CONTROVERSY.

[KARINE JEAN PIERRE]

“I think you all have called this the cheap fakes video and that’s exactly what they are, they are cheap fakes video, they are done in bad faith and some of your news organization have been very clear that right wing critics of the president have a credibility problem. Because of the fact checkers have repeatedly caught them pushing misinformation – disinformation.” 

[KARAH RUCKER]

HERE ARE HEADLINES FROM LEFT LEANING NEWS OUTLETS –

NBC, THE NEW YORK TIMES, AND WASHINGTON POST –

ALL REFERRING TO SO-CALLED CHEAP FAKES AS “MISLEADING”.

“MISLEADING GOP VIDEOS OF BIDEN ARE GOING VIRAL.”

“HOW MISLEADING VIDEOS ARE TRAILING BIDEN.”

“HOW REPUBLICANS USED MISLEADING VIDEOS TO ATTACK BIDEN.”

HERE ARE HEADLINES FROM RIGHT LEANING NEWS OUTLETS –

THE NEW YORK POST, FOX, AND THE DAILY WIRE.

“WHITE HOUSE MAKES WRONG CLAIMS WHILE ACCUSING POST OF MISREPORTING VIDEOS”

“LIBERAL MEDIA OUTLETS ‘RUNNING COVER’ FOR BIDEN BY CALLING VIRAL CLIPS CHEAP FAKES”

AND “MEDIA GOES ALL IN ON WHITE HOUSE’S CHEAP FAKES NARRATIVE.”

SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THESE VIDEOS BEING REFERRED TO?

HERE ARE  RECENT EXAMPLES.

BIDEN AT THE G7 SUMMIT – BREAKING FROM THE GROUP OF WORLD LEADERS DURING A PARACHUTING PRESENTATION.

THE POST AND OTHERS ON THE RIGHT UPLOADED THIS VIDEO AND DESCRIBED  BIDEN AS “WANDERING OFF”.

MSNBC AND OTHERS ON THE LEFT NOTED THE PRESIDENT WAS “GREETING A PARACHUTIST”’ – WHICH IS SEEN MORE CLEARLY FROM THIS ANGLE IN A DIFFERENT CLIP OF THE SAME EVENT.

THE ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER – TAPPING BIDEN ON THE SHOULDER TO REJOIN THE GROUP.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE – AT A DDAY CEREMONY IN FRANCE – 

THE POST CALLED IT “AN AWKWARD MOMENT” AS THE PRESIDENT WENT TO SIT WITHOUT ANYONE ELSE JOINING HIM. SOME ON THE RIGHT EVEN CLAIMED THERE WAS NO CHAIR BEHIND HIM WHEN THERE WAS. 

THOSE ON THE LEFT POINT TO A LONGER CLIP ONLINE SHOWING EVERYONE – INCLUDING BIDEN – SITTING FOR THE CEREMONY MOMENTS LATER.

THEN THERE’S BIDEN ON STAGE WITH OBAMA AT A HOLLYWOOD FUNDRAISER.

THE POST DESCRIBED IT AS BIDEN “APPEARING TO FREEZE UP ON STAGE” WITH OBAMA “ESCORTING” BIDEN OUT.

NBC AND OTHERS ON THE LEFT CLASSIFIED IT AS BIDEN “STARING INTO THE AUDIENCE FOR A MOMENT” BEFORE “OBAMA SIGNALED IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE THE STAGE.”

THESE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES –

OF VIDEOS GONE VIRAL ONLINE – THE CONTEXT MORE THAN THE CONTENT – BEING QUESTIONED –

WITH DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF WHAT’S HAPPENING.

WHILE BIDEN IS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT THE SUBJECT OF THESE VIRAL CLIPS –

THIS PICTURE OF TRUMP EXITING A RALLY RECENTLY WENT VIRAL –

TRUMP AND HIS SON DON JUNIOR LOCKED HANDS –

WITH SOME ONLINE SPECULATING TRUMP NEEDED TO BE GUIDED OFF STAGE.

BUT THE VIDEO OF THE TWO WITH LOCKED HANDS –

SHOWS A MUCH FASTER HANDSHAKE AS THE PRESIDENT LEAVES THE RALLY.

BEING IN A DIGITAL AGE –

COMES WITH ITS CAMPAIGN ADVANTAGES.

A CANDIDATE CAN REACH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WITH ONE POST.

OR RAISE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS – WITH ONE CLICK OF A BUTTON.

BUT THE FLIP SIDE – IS WHETHER CHARACTER ATTACKS CAN HAPPEN THAT FAST TOO – ALL FROM AN IMAGE OR VIDEO ONLINE TAKEN AT FACE VALUE.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

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