PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE: This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as a Congressional press secretary in Washington, D.C., an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

The definition of fake news escapes me. Or, at least there could be several definitions.

It is a relatively new term these days and often is on our minds because President Donald Trump always talks about it.

I think there are several definitions.

1. THE LITERAL ONE

Fake news is distributed by many interests that, literally, make up stuff, then disseminate the material as attachments to websites, as news releases, and in other ways.

It is clearly material made up out of whole cloth, but, depending on the size of the distribution, it can affects public perceptions.

2. THE CONCOCTED ONE

This relates to what I consider to be staged events that are designed to gain publicity, either a picture on the front page of a newspaper or a few seconds on local TV news.

Examples are demonstrations on the front steps of the Capitol in Salem in favor of one thing or another, which are staged to gain news coverage. Consider demonstrators angling for more funds for a priority – say K-12 school funding.

To achieve the objective, what advocates ought to do is testify before Joint Ways and Means Committees considering how to allocate state general (and lottery) funds. Or, they should meet one-on-one with key legislators. Deliver advocacy messages without regard to whether they generate news – fake news – coverage.

The same can be said of public employee unions which demonstrate on Capitol steps or sit-in in legislative hallways to advocate for more for themselves. They may make the evening news, but not much else.

Standing around at the Capitol won’t get the job done.

I relayed this perspective a few days ago to a friend of mine who disagreed strongly, contending that those on the steps were expressing their Constitutionally-protected right of free speech.

Point made. But my point is that such demonstrations only produce short-lived news coverage, not results at the Capitol. So, in that way, to me, they constitute fake news.

3. THE “I DISAGREE WITH IT” ONE

This tends to be what Donald Trump means when he labels something fake news. If he disagrees with it, then it is fake.

4. THE “CAN YOU BELIEVE IT ONE”

Here, I cite the story from Iowa a couple days ago where Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley wrote an opinion piece for the Des Moines Register that led to speculation that he was starting a run for president.

Can you believe it?

I cannot. And I say this based on my several years of lobbying Merkley when he served in the Oregon House of Representative. He was one of the most sanctimonious legislators I ever have had the unfortunate reality to meet at the Capitol.

He always thought he was the most knowledgeable person in the room. He wouldn’t let anyone of us as lobbyists buy him lunch or a drink for fear we would think he owed us something in return.

Frankly, that offended me. For him to think that I was so crass as to believe in such a quid pro quo was way beyond reason. But it was Merkley.

When he defeated U.S. Senator Gordon Smith, I was sickened by the outcome. Smith landed on his feet as CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters while Merkley, incredibly, began serving in Senate where he has carved out a reputation, mostly, as a critic of Trump.

I rate Merkley-for-president as “fake news” because I cannot believe it is real.

In all of this, the best attitude is healthy skepticism. Don’t believe, at least at first blush, everything you read, hear on the radio or see on TV. Recognize that what you read, hear and see requires a sense of perspective. Form opinions on the basis of a variety of sources rather than just one.