Unless you are locked in a closet or have nothing to do with the world of the internet/Facebook/Twitter/or the rest of the online universe, you have read fake news stories. Phony stories sent to your iPad, smart phone, or computer, as real, for sure news stories, about topics you might care about.

In recent months, my news feeds have brought me such great phony items like the one claiming the Pope endorsed Donald Trump (he didn’t), and that Hillary Clinton was running a sex parlor in a Washington, D.C. pizza shop (of course not). The latter story enraged a Georgia man so much he drove to Washington and shot the place up.

The president-elect recently spent much of a news conference complaining about an unsubstantiated report accusing him of nasty conduct, calling it fake news.

Suddenly the term fake news was all over the place, but, in truth, it is not a new subject. Our history is filled with such tales.

In 1835, The New York Sun ran a six-part series about life on the moon. In 1874, The New York Herald ran a phony story about how animals escaped from the Central Park zoo and killed dozens of citizens. There are lots of other examples in the pages of our history books.

If you shop at the local Hannaford market, you will see tabloids at the checkout counter trumpeting whoppers about “Big Foot,” alien monsters, deformed children and movie stars. All fake.

In real life, the political class on all sides can be found accusing the press of bias and dishonesty when they read a story that says something nice about the other side.

In some circles, the press is just pond scum. They are the tool of the liberal establishment on one hand or a groveling pack of toads taking orders from big shots.

I will let you in on a real secret of the news business. Reporters and editors do not do conspiracy very well. Most of them could not agree on what to have for lunch, much less agree on a political philosophy.

Newspapers used to have lots of editors sitting around looking at stories and asking questions like: “How do we know this?” or “where did this come from?” 
Reporters would then have to explain and justify the “fact” in question or the story itself. These conversations occur every day. It is part of the process in the news business.

In newspaper lore, there is a story that is said to have originated at the old City News Bureau in Chicago. As the tale goes, a very green “cub” reporter walked up to a grizzled old editor. “You tell me to check the facts in a story. Tell me, how should I know which facts to check?”

The old editor pulled the stump of a cigar out of the corner of his mouth and spat a slug of tobacco juice into a trash can. Then he looked at the “cub” and said: “If your mother says she loves you, check it. Then work from there.”

In other words, double check facts all the time.

In recent years, more and more newspapers are being run by corporate types. Seeking to cut costs, they have laid off editors. The result is more and more stupid mistakes.

Here at The Boothbay Register and the Wiscasset Newspaper, we have editors who have been around a while and know the territory.

If a writer turns in a story referring to Damariscotta instead of Damariscove, or Southport Island instead of Westport Island, or mentions Alexander Hamilton, not Hannibal Hamlin, chances are that the sharp–eyed editor will smile, make a correction and remind the writer to always check his facts.

The writer will then apologize, promise to do better in the future, and spend the next day or so beating himself up for making such a dumb mistake.

If the editor lets an error slip into print or the web, the next day he can expect to field five phone calls and three email messages reminding him of the importance of accuracy.

Editors know that “spell check” is not always right, either.

Well, you might ask, what is the difference? Who cares about a mistake in a newspaper, especially a tiny local paper like the two I like to call “my favorite newspapers?”

The answer is everyone cares. Writers care about accuracy. Editors care about it too. Newspaper owners care for they know advertisers depend upon and are more likely to buy ads in papers with a reputation for accuracy.

Finally, we know you, our customers, the dear readers who pay good money to read our newspaper, really care.

And that, friends, is a real news story.