The Inverted Pyramid And How Fake News Weaponized Modern Journalistic Practice

Palantir CEO Alex Karp Says Going Public Is'A Possibility' Two false news stories from a website registered in Macedonia. If one looks deeply at the world of "fake news" one finds that much of what makes it possible has its roots in modern journalistic practice. From the inverted pyramid style of summarizing major findings in the headline and lede, while burying the details at the bottom, to writing for one's audience and skipping complex detail, the sacrosanct practices of journalism have been weaponized by the clickbait and fake news communities. Take the standard inverted pyramid format of Western journalism. No matter whether you are writing for a fringe blog or one of the most respected news outlets in the world, the pyramid style of writing means the headline will summarize the article in a few meme-ready share-worthy words, the lead paragraph will offer a tantalizing preview of the major conclusions, and the remaining top-level paragraphs will all convey the big story.