Clinton: 'Fake news' threatens American democracy

(Baonghean.vn) - Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called “fake news” a threat that needs to be dealt with quickly. This statement was made during her rare public appearance on December 8 - exactly one month after her defeat in the presidential election.

Hillary Clinton speaks at a ceremony honoring the Senate Democratic leader. Photo: Reuters.

In a speech thanking retiring Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, Clinton said “we must defend American democracy,” referring to what she called “the plague of malicious fake news and false propaganda that has flooded social media over the past year.”

Clinton also urged both the public and private sectors to act together to combat misinformation.

“It’s now clear that so-called ‘fake news’ can have real-world consequences,” she said. “This is not about politics or partisanship. Lives are at stake. The lives of ordinary people who are just going about their day, doing their jobs, contributing to their communities.”

Clinton herself has been the target of fake news, with reports circulating online claiming that a Washington pizza restaurant was a front for a child sex abuse ring run by Clinton.

A North Carolina man armed with an assault rifle opened fire at a restaurant just miles northwest of Washington on Sunday. Police said the suspect said he was there to “investigate” a fake news source.

Mrs. Clinton's appearance at the event on December 8, attended by many Democratic Party officials including Vice President Joe Biden, received applause and praise from the audience.

Clinton has addressed her relatively low profile since Donald Trump was elected, calling it “a few weeks of taking selfies in the woods.”

She indirectly admitted defeat when she began her speech: “This is not exactly the speech on Capitol Hill that I hoped to give after the election.”

The new president of the United States will deliver his inaugural address on January 20, standing on a grand stage erected every four years on the west forecourt of the Capitol building.

Phu Binh

(According to CNN)