America has always been a marketplace of ideas. Believe it or not, there once was a time when those with ideological differences could engage in civil discourse without vitriol. Intellectual exchange was not only tolerated, but encouraged. Sadly, this landscape may seem long gone given our current cultural and political climate.

At its very core, our country is great because of free speech, a freedom taken for granted by many. Today, the First Amendment has been cast aside and attacked by people who would rather shut down those with whom they disagree rather than celebrate diversity of ideas. As a society, we have become obsessed with saying what is comfortable instead of what is true. We can no longer accept this watered down version of our constitutional right to free speech. But who or what is to blame?

Fake news. We've heard so much about the "dishonest media" during the 2016 election, but the reality is fake news is by no means a new concept. However, it becomes dangerous when one ideology seeks to enlist media in its pressure tactics against their opposition.

We've seen this sort of targeting and mudslinging time and time again. I have personally experienced it during my tenure as CEO of the American Legislative Exchange Council. I've lived fake news.

Fake news isn't news at all. It's opinion. It's intentional misinformation. It's activists hiding behind the comfort of their computer screens trying to veil their desperation with any semblance of legitimacy by adding words like "investigator," "writer," or "reporter" to their bylines. More troubling is most of these activists are bought and paid for.

This sort of behavior is not only journalistically unethical, but also pretentious. Perpetrators of fake news churn out content based almost entirely on assumptions and what they want to believe is fact.

The Center for Media and Democracy has made it their hobby and mission to paint ALEC as an elusive "dark money" organization. These accusations are nothing short of laughable due to the incredibly high-value ALEC places on transparency. What's more, ALEC has been attacked for supporting both liberal and conservative causes. But nonetheless, the false information is out there seeking to discredit the organization.

On a recent conference call, the progressive advocacy group SiX Action hosted Lisa Graves, executive director for CMD, to present what she thought were the top priorities for ALEC in 2017. It shouldn't come as a surprise Graves didn't come to ALEC to ask what our priorities were; the priorities she listed were merely her own opinion.

During the highly misinformed hour-long call, Graves mentioned CMD has published more than 40,000 articles about ALEC, citing publications like PR Watch, SourceWatch, BanksterUSA, among others. The kicker? All of these sources are funded by CMD itself. All cogs in the same fake news machine.

Fake news is poisonous. It creates division, and it creates an incredible level of distrust in the public sphere.

We are all consumers, victims and even perpetrators of fake news. While it is no one particular group's fault, it is our collective duty to seek truth and clarity even when it is inconvenient and uncomfortable.

However, all is not lost. We all want a better country. The divisiveness of America today is palpable, but we all need to let our guard down and work together. While we may fundamentally disagree, we must refrain from shielding ourselves from ideas that are different from our own. In fact, disagreement is what makes our country great.

How blessed are we to live in a nation where we are allowed to disagree, allowed to go against the grain, and allowed to stand up for what we believe in? It's a shame this right has been taken for granted.

Lisa Nelson is CEO of the American Legislative Exchange Council. If you would like to write an op-ed for the Washington Examiner, please read our guidelines on submissions here.