Expert

In a world filled with confusion and uncertainty, in a world of many choices, people seek certitude: to do what's right; to buy what's right.

For this, people often seek outside help from someone who seems to be an expert, an authority.

"Authority figures" are those presenters whom we trust or like because they suggest the good aspects of the nurturing parent: the protective care, knowledge, wisdom, and guidance of the idealized parents, "Mom and Dad," or of the parent surrogates, such as teachers, advisors, and mentors.

In ads, for example, Chuck Yeager, famed as the first test pilot to break the sound barrier, is an ideal authority figure for his expertise with mechanical products, as is the fictional Betty Crocker for baking products. The National Rifle Association elected the authority figure Charleton Heston (famed for being "Moses" in the movies) as their president "to improve the image of the NRA." During 2006-2008, the most controversial issue about the use of celebrities as authority figures was the case of Dr. Robert Jarvik, the famous inventor of the Jarvik artifical heart, who appeared as spokesman for Pfizer's drug, Lipitor.

Note that President Bill Clinton, despite his low marks on the "character issue" (related to being "sincere or trustworthy"), continued to have a very high voter approval rating during his term because of his apparent expertise in "doing his job" well, of keeping the country's economy in good shape. In 2008, ineptly campaigning for his wife's candidacy, he lost support from his own partisan supporters because he was seen as damaging the Democratic party (as being not on your side).

One of the developing problems of the Internet is the unreliability of authority. Many people, without any real expertise, can pose as experts. Many crazies and charlatans can publish their irrational ideas, errors and untruths, lies and deceptions, gossip and rumors. If the website "looks good" (graphics, design), it gives the impression of being reliable, even though a rascal or a crazy may have simply hired a designer.

About rumors on the web, media critic Tim Rutten of The Los Angeles Times writes: “The Internet with its undifferentiated amalgam of democracy, enterprise, anarchy and eccentricity also is an excellent mechanism through which to launder slander — in that role, we might think of it as a kind of informational offshore bank, the Cayman Islands of campaigning.”

In traditional publishing, there were "filters" to insure expertise and credibility, a whole series of experts (editors, outside readers and consultants) examined the books before they were published. "Reputable" publishers built their reputation over the years with their quality and expertise. Thus, when the reading public bought a book from Random House or Harpers, the imprint of the publisher added credibility to the book. While the system wasn't 100% perfect, it did function rather well.

To check out many current rumors, see: Urban Legends