Fake News
‘To Believe Or Not To Believe That Is The Question’
What Does Fake News Mean?
As a nation we are accustomed to sharing news articles and stories on Social Media. Casually selecting stories that are either informative, funny or just plain interesting. How many of us though actually check the source of an article to ensure what we are sharing is real? Fake news can be a dangerous source of information since the crux of the material is based on untruths. So, what is fake news?
Types Of Fake News
: Published news that intentionally sets out to misinform with fabricated lies. This type of fake news persuades people to believe something that is untrue.
: Published news that in parts has some truth to it but embellishes the story with inaccurate facts.
Why Fake The News?
Social media has enabled fake news to spread quickly to a wider audience with engaging captions that entice people to read and share. Political propaganda repeatedly publicises false facts in an attempt to raise the profile of their agenda, whilst discrediting their opponents. Arguably Donald Trump has in recent times taken centre stage with his manipulation of truths via social media. Attacking his political opponents with stories that have little or no evidence to substantiate his claims. King of the tweets Mr Trump has utilised the platform to promote extraordinary conspiracy theories, citing blogs and websites that hold no endorsements to their authentication.
The digital world allows access to a multitude of information, instant news stories keep us informed by the mere click of a button. According to a study by Pew Research Center, following the 2016 election, 64% of American’s confessed to confusion over fake news stories. Alarmingly 23% of adults claimed to have shared fake political news stories intentionally and by mistake. The study also analysed 364 million Facebook users who interacted with over 900 news sites during Brexit and the Presidential campaign in 2016. The results are disturbing, since it appears people will access and share news sites that align to their political beliefs regardless of the authenticity of the news articles.
Who’s Duping Who?
It has been suggested over 86% of internet users have at some point been taken in by fake news. Dishonest news stories of a scandalous or shocking nature tend to entice a wider audience thus generating ad revenue from the amount of web interest. Anyone can create a fake news; it appears fascination lures us into the world of lies and falsehoods. The more unbelievable the story the more our curiosity is fuelled. Deceptive content in fake news is difficult to expose since genuine news articles can equally contain misleading information.
How Can We Spot Fake News
The government in its response to the pandemic of fake news has launched a Rapid Response Unit which is working to tackle harmful fake news stories online. Reportedly up to 70 incidents are being dealt with on a weekly basis. Culture secretary Oliver Dowden recently stated: “We’re working with social media companies, and I’ll be pressing them this week for further action to stem the spread of falsehoods and rumours. When false narratives are identified, the government’s Rapid Response Unit coordinates with departments across Whitehall to deploy the appropriate response. This can include a direct rebuttal on social media, working with platforms to remove harmful content”.
The government has also called upon the public to help put a stop to potentially dangerous and false news stories online by following the official government guidelines. The ‘SHARE’ checklist contains vital information, such as verifying the source of the story and the facts before sharing. The guidance also includes advise on how to identify and deal with untrustworthy emails, whilst offering five easy steps on how to identify misleading information.
Five Steps To Identify Misleading Information
: Source — Make Sure Information Comes From A Trusted Source.
: Headline — Always Read Beyond The Headline.
: Analyse — Check The Facts.
: Retouched — Does The Image Or Video Look As Though It Has Been Doctored?
: Error — Look Out For Bad Grammar And Spelling.
The government in its response to the pandemic of fake news has launched a Rapid Response Unit which is working to tackle harmful fake news stories online. Reportedly up to 70 incidents are being dealt with on a weekly basis. Culture secretary Oliver Dowden recently stated: “We’re working with social media companies, and I’ll be pressing them this week for further action to stem the spread of falsehoods and rumours. When false narratives are identified, the government’s Rapid Response Unit coordinates with departments across Whitehall to deploy the appropriate response. This can include a direct rebuttal on social media, working with platforms to remove harmful content”.
The government has also called upon the public to help put a stop to potentially dangerous and false news stories online by following the official government guidelines. The ‘SHARE’ checklist contains vital information, such as verifying the source of the story and the facts before sharing. The guidance also includes advise on how to identify and deal with untrustworthy emails, whilst offering five easy steps on how to identify misleading information.
Five Steps To Identify Misleading Information
: Source — Make Sure Information Comes From A Trusted Source.
: Headline — Always Read Beyond The Headline.
: Analyse — Check The Facts.
: Retouched — Does The Image Or Video Look As Though It Has Been Doctored?
: Error — Look Out For Bad Grammar And Spelling.
The government in its response to the pandemic of fake news has launched a Rapid Response Unit which is working to tackle harmful fake news stories online. Reportedly up to 70 incidents are being dealt with on a weekly basis. Culture secretary Oliver Dowden recently stated: “We’re working with social media companies, and I’ll be pressing them this week for further action to stem the spread of falsehoods and rumours. When false narratives are identified, the government’s Rapid Response Unit coordinates with departments across Whitehall to deploy the appropriate response. This can include a direct rebuttal on social media, working with platforms to remove harmful content”.
The government has also called upon the public to help put a stop to potentially dangerous and false news stories online by following the official government guidelines. The ‘SHARE’ checklist contains vital information, such as verifying the source of the story and the facts before sharing. The guidance also includes advise on how to identify and deal with untrustworthy emails, whilst offering five easy steps on how to identify misleading information.
Five Steps To Identify Misleading Information
: Source — Make Sure Information Comes From A Trusted Source.
: Headline — Always Read Beyond The Headline.
: Analyse — Check The Facts.
: Retouched — Does The Image Or Video Look As Though It Has Been Doctored?
: Error — Look Out For Bad Grammar And Spelling.
Cite:
You searched for statistics fake news | Pew Research Center
https://libguides.madisoncollege.edu/fakenews
Types of Fake News — Library Sources, Credibility …
https://guides.lib.uiowa.edu/c.php?g=972061&p=7025514
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-steps-up-fight-against-fake-news
Cite:
You searched for statistics fake news | Pew Research Center
https://libguides.madisoncollege.edu/fakenews
Types of Fake News — Library Sources, Credibility …
https://guides.lib.uiowa.edu/c.php?g=972061&p=7025514
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-steps-up-fight-against-fake-news
Cite:
You searched for statistics fake news | Pew Research Center
https://libguides.madisoncollege.edu/fakenews
Types of Fake News — Library Sources, Credibility …
