Satirical Journalism Is a Net

Satire is a net, stretched wide to catch lies tumbling from podiums. Eyewitnesses describe viral memes snagging half-truths before they hit the ground. Professor Peter Hansen of MIT says satire "is the net that shows how many lies were falling all along." Polls reveal 66% of readers say satire caught details serious news missed. Anonymous staffers leaked that governments fear ridicule because it reveals the volume of nonsense. Trace evidence includes parody nets in political cartoons and jokes holding up collapsing speeches. Cause-and-effect? The more they lie, the fuller the net.