Fake News
Fake News
Why is fake news a thing? It's a tough topic for me personally. I'm extremely logically and can't wrap my head around how much fake news influences our world.
So, what is fake news?
Fake news is information created or taken out-of-context to emotionally manipulate people, gather views, and cause strong reactions.
We have a responsibility to stay informed on our society. The internet and social media have changed how, where, and when we can get information.
Journalists and traditional news organizations were once the gatekeepers of information who filtered content and checked facts for the public. Now, anyone can be an "armchair journalist".
Democratization of information - when new voices enter public discord and bring positive change.
However, many voices don't always bring positive change. (Newswise, 2020)
Website cookies keep track of what we read, look at, watch, play, click, and more. Social media site algorithms use these cookies to bring us content that is similar to what we already like or agree with.
So, if someone relies on a social media platform for news, they will only get information that conforms to their confirmation bias. Social media is not intended to be used as a source of news. So, when people only rely on their friends and social media feeds, they miss at least half of the information available (Newswise, 2020).
selection of topics, angles, and language to support a general worldview.
Information that is unintentionally false.
False information which is intended to mislead, especially propaganda issued by a government organization to a rival power or the media
Humans are naturally drawn to information that align with our world views
Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view (Oxford English Dictionary).
Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief (Oxford English Dictionary).
The more we are plugged into a global network, the more ways there are to deceive us. Here are some of the more popular terms that fall under the "fake news" category
Something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest (Merriam Webster Dictionary). It is often paid for by the advertiser or generates income based on the number of clicks (Urban Dictionary).
the practice of concealing the real authors (or sponsors) of a message in order to give the impression of a grassroots support for a product, service or political viewpoint (buying likes) (via Profweb)
1. An act intended to trick or dupe; 2. something accepted by fraud or fabrication (Merriam Webster Dictionary).
Internet users tend to only see news & ideas that they agree with, or have interest in, due to personalization algorithms of search engine results and social media platform feeds (Jon Martindale, Digital Trends).
theory that explains an event as being the result of a plot by a covert group or organization; a belief that a particular unexplained event was caused by such a group and the idea that many important political events or economic and social trends are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.
highly realistic manipulated video or audio (via CNN.com)
An insular communication space where everyone agrees with the information and no outside input is allowed (Urban Dictionary).
The more content we consume, the more our ability to judge the content becomes impaired
58% of Americans said the increased amount of information due to social media makes it more difficult to stay informed
68% said they used social media as a way to get news
57% said they don't trust what they read on social media
80% of middle school students believed that sponsored content was a real news story
Fewer than 20% of high school students questioned the credibility of a misleading photo;
Fewer than 1/3 of university students of could identify political agenda of a lobbying group’s tweet (News Literacy Project Strategic Framework (2019)).
The phrasing of headlines influences your mindset before you read
Headlines and images may not be wholly inaccurate, but turns the focus of reading or viewing to specific pieces of information
Simply reading the whole article may not correct peoples' understanding of the article
Researchers have discovered that, when headlines are misleading:
Readers have difficulty recalling details;
Readers had difficulty making accurate inferences;
Readers had difficulty comprehending photos that differed from the headline's subject;
Subtle misinformation causes more damage than blatant (Ecker, Lewandowsky, Chang, & Pillai, 2014)
Images act like headlines
Since people view so many images throughout their browsing experience, they have difficulties distinguishing between:
Shallow images - created for entertainment vs.
Deep images - images that have ulterior motives (e.g. to inform, mislead, persuade, sell).
Researcher and librarian Dana Statton Thompson created the DIG method for analyzing images (Thompson, 2019)
Analyzing:
1. Review and describe the image.
Who, what, when, and where do you see represented in the image?
2. Review the text.
What textual information is provided (caption, date, and/or headline)?
3. React to the image.
How does the image make you feel?
Interpreting:
1. Determine the source (creator, publisher and/or website) of the image.
Who created the image? Who owns and/or published the image?
2. Determine the message of the image.
What is the message? Who is the intended audience?
3. Search for other online sources that further contextualize the image.
How does context (social, cultural, historical, and/or political) inform the image?
Evaluating:
1. Think back to your first reaction to the image.
How might your reaction impact how you view the image?
2. Refer back to the other websites that have published the image.
Has the image been misrepresented or manipulated?
3. Assess the reliability and accuracy of the image.
Is the image reliable and accurate? Why or why not?
Comprehending:
1. What judgments can you make about the image based on your evaluations above
and the available information?
2. Do any of your biases or point of views impact how you view the image?
If so, how?
3. What is the purpose of this image (to inform, to instruct, to sell, to entertain, to
enjoy, and/or to persuade)? Why do you think so?
*Terminology from Newswise, 2020; Eavi 2020; and The News Literacy Project, 2020.