What is Fake News and how to Deal with it?

WHAT IS FAKE NEWS?

Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news. It is intended to damage the reputation of an individual or company. Fake news has been ubiquitous throughout history, but the first use of the term "fake news" was in his 1890s, when sensationalist reporting was common in newspapers. However, the term has no fixed definition and is generally applied to all kinds of misinformation. It is also used by high-profile people to promote news that is unfavorable to them. Additionally, disinformation includes the dissemination of malicious misinformation, which can be generated and disseminated by hostile foreign actors, especially during elections. By some definitions, fake news includes satire articles that are misinterpreted as genuine, or articles that use sensational or clickbait headlines that are not supported by text. This wide variety of hoaxes has led researchers to prefer information disorders as a more neutral and informative term.

TYPES OF FALSE INFORMATION 

When it comes to rating online content, there are various types of false or misleading messages that you should be aware of. These include:

1. CLICKBAIT

2. PROPAGANDA

3. SATIRE or PARODY

4. SLOPPY JOURNALISM 

5. MISLEADING HEADLINES 

6. BIASED 

7. IMPOSTER CONTENT

8. MANIPULATED CONTENT

~With the recent rise of social media, especially Facebook news feeds, the prevalence of fake news has increased, and this misinformation is slowly making its way into mainstream media. Several factors contribute to the spread of fake news, including political polarization, post-truth politics, motivated thinking, confirmation bias, and social media algorithms.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT FAKE NEWS?

1. EVALUATE 

• Use criteria to evaluate a source. Fact-check, more of it: 

2. Search it on Google

If you know anything about social media, just google it in 5 seconds. In most cases, a Google search will show something like this:

• If another reputable news site reports the same thing

• if the fact-checking website has already denied the allegations.

• If only biased media outlets are reporting the allegations - this may require further investigation.

 I think most of the time it only takes 5 seconds before you get angry or click the Share button!

3. GET NEWS FROM NEWS SOURCES

One of the easiest ways to avoid the fake news trap may seem obvious, for your news, go directly to trusted news websites.

 If you rely on Facebook for trends and what's shared in your news feed, you should check every meme and news article you come across.

4. DISTINGUISH OPINIONS FROM FACTS

Even news websites and shows have sections and shows that feature people's opinions about the news. In newspapers, these sections are called:

- edit

- Letter to the Editor

- Editorial department

- opinion

Opinion shows now often dominate cable news sources. You can agree with the opinions presented or contextualize the facts in a way that makes sense to you. However, realize that they are presenting the facts in a way that suits their agenda, and think for yourself.

5. WATCH OUT FOR RED FLAGS!

Check if there is something wrong on the spellings, picture and disclaimers like something that says “satire”.

REFERENCES:

Fake news. (2022, November 15). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fake_news

McGarrigle, J. (2022, July 22). Explained: What is Fake news? | Social Media and Filter Bubbles. Webwise.ie. https://www.webwise.ie/teachers/what-is-fake-news/

West, D. M. (2022, March 9). How to combat fake news and disinformation. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/research/how-to-combat-fake-news-and-disinformation/

LibGuides: Keepin’ It Real: Tips & Strategies for Evaluating Fake News: Home. (n.d.). https://libguides.lmu.edu/c.php?g=595781