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Latest push in fake news is pushing fake experts

During the 2016 presidential election, hundreds of fake sources used social media to spread fake news. Many of these posts were traced back to the Internet Research Agency, a Russian troll farm that used social networks to create divides among Americans and influence the election. This is known as cognitive hacking and is the real scandal of the 2016 election, said Dr. Craig Albert, director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies program and associate professor of political science at Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Augusta University. Fake sources using social media to spread fake news are often able to reach a large audience who may never realize the stories are false, Albert said. In some instances, entire organizations and groups have been created under false pretenses and have had millions of social media followers. “When so many people see fake news on their newsfeeds, they become a product of their belief in a fake story,” Albert said. “So, a fake story controls their opinions.” Now, Russia is taking fake news a step farther. The newest trend is creating a false persona to push fake news on U.S. news organizations. “They will have an expert create a story, and they will create credentials and a website to give credibility to this individual,” Albert said. “When media outlets try to ascertain the credibility of a person they typically visit the individual’s website or look at their resume. It appears legitimate, so the source is validated, and news outlets run the story.” In many cases, though, these are false stories by individuals with fake credentials. Albert calls this source hacking. Dr. Albert is an expert on American politics and political philosophy. He has experience with all forms of local and national news organizations and is available to speak to media regarding cognitive and source hacking. Contact us to schedule an interview with Dr. Albert or to learn more about his expertise. Source:

One Tweak That Can (Instantly) Add Significantly To The Value Of Your Business

If you’re trying to figure out what your business might be worth, it’s helpful to consider what acquirers are paying for companies like yours these days. A little internet research will probably reveal that a business trades for a multiple of your pre-tax profit, which is Sellers Discretionary Earnings (SDE) for a small business and Earnings Before Interest Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) for a slightly larger business. Ian Fitzpatrick is a Chartered Professional Accountant and a Chartered Business Valuator. He is an expert in advising business owners and entrepreneurs on all aspects of corporate sales, mergers, acquisitions, litigation, succession and ownership issues. In a recent piece, Ian highlights how business owners can take simple steps to add significant value to their enterprises. To learn more, simply click on the short article attached at the bottom. To contact Ian directly, simply click on his icon to arrange an appointment regarding this topic. Source:

Your Reaction is so America

It seems Donald Glover, aka, Childish Gambino, seemed to have broken the internet and the minds of both whites and people of color. The symbolism and messages have been broken down in a variety of different well thought out, and at the same time totally obtuse ways. Many people simply refuse to see it for what the video and lyrics are--and that's art. Art can be interrupted in a variety of ways. But it seems that when it comes to issues of race, people lose all sense of reality and either go into attack or defend mode. But this is the beauty of the video. It created discussion points that are essential American. In relations to the issue of race, the reaction to the video and song is uniquely "America." Since 1619 when the first Dutch flag arrived to the U.S. colonies, people have and continue to defending the status quo and the system of oppression that has enslaved, raped, and psychologically, economically, and socially controlled Black people, fighting against said system, or simply have become comfortable with sitting on the fence. We should use this piece of art, and it is art, to create progressive conversation. Source:

Order for Racism. Racism Anyone?

When I think of Starbucks, I think of fair trade and “ethnically sourced” secured coffee beans, wonderfully laid out desserts and treats that my waist line dislikes, and cool stripped down funky folky alternative music playing in the background while I drink a hot delicacy I can barely pronounce. I think of people conversing, while others around them are seeping the juices of the Internet to fuel their apple laptop latest reality game apps. I think of people completing school or professional work away from their homes and offices. Starbucks has the ability in a sense to serve as an escape. But as a person of color, especially a historically marginalized people, there is no quarter given. Two Black men in Philadelphia discussing possible business ventures in a Starbuck were reminded that within the 21st century two separate worlds for Blacks and everyone else continues to exist within our world. The denial of bathroom rights to potential paying customers, an automatic response to call the police, and consequential police engagement and arrest without legitimate legal cause are representations of 21st racism. A similar incident has recently surfaced on video caught in a Los Angles area store where onlookers observed white non-paying patrons getting access to the bathroom while Blacks were denied. These discussed incidences are the simple echoes of a system of oppression that has existed for Blacks since the first Dutch flagged slave ship arrived in Jamestown in 1619. Source:

‘Internet’ Presidents and the evolving art of communicating

There’s no question the first four presidents of the internet age are different, but Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump share one thing in common: They have emphasized their personal character to win office and to fight back against critics. In his new book Presidential Communication and Character: White House News Management from Clinton and Cable to Twitter and Trump, University of Mary Washington Political Science Professor Stephen J. Farnsworth examines how presidents sell themselves and their policies in an ever-expanding and sometimes precarious media environment. “Character conversations are ideal for a modern media system that gives rise to short-attention-span politics,” said Farnsworth, a sought-after political commentator who has spent decades researching presidential communications and the media. “They also serve the politicians’ interests, as constantly distracted news consumers may not remember when politicians said one thing yesterday and a different thing today, much less punish them for inconsistency. With the various modern media cocoons that exist today, a person may never hear a president called to account for a comment that turned out to be false.” Dr. Farnsworth is professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington. A published author and a media ‘go-to’ on presidential politics, he is available to speak with media regarding this issue. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview. Source: