Detecting Fake News
Brooklyn Blanton, Delaney Brown, Sabrina Hardin
Brooklyn Blanton, Delaney Brown, Sabrina Hardin
Fake news: a phrase used to mean news that is false or misleading... or is it? Since 2016, the use of this phrase has risen exponentially, especially as it pertains to journalists and the media. Unfortunately, some politicians use this phrase when referring to ideas, happenings, people, or even entire media outlets they don't agree with.
Fake news is a type of journalism that is based upon crude exaggeration or propaganda made up of intentional disinformation spread via the internet. It is verifiably false.
News outlets sometimes report fake news as satire. This is the easiest type of fake news to catch because usually the sites that do it are known for satire, and no other news outlets will be reporting the same story.
Other times, however, fake news is produced for the sake of confusing the people, or simply getting a rise out of them.
Knowing what news really is and isn’t fake is extremely important. It helps us avoid spreading misinformation and causing a panic over something that might not be true.
Often, people will claim “fake news” on any news story that they don’t like or don’t agree with. It’s important to know when a claim for fake news is real or really just a claim of bias.