Avoid Fake News

WHAT IS FAKE NEWS

Fake news are “false stories that appear to be news, spread on the internet or using other media, usually created to influence political views or as a joke.”

Misinformation: “false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead.”

Disinformation: “deliberately misleading or biased information; manipulated narrative or facts; propaganda.”

Both misinformation and disinformation refer to types of wrong or false information, though only disinformation is wrong on purpose.

What is the Point of Fake News?

Why do people create fake news in the first place? Some of the reasons include

1.  Money

   • The ugly truth behind fake news: there is big money to be made. The money comes from advertisements. The more clicks/views received, the more ads there are (which results in more money).

   • So when it comes to fake news, the more shocking the headline, the more potential for clicks and shares (and money of course).

2.  Agenda

   • Some examples of fake news have an agenda. They want you to get “fired up” and join their “dark side”.

3.  Joke

   • Some fake news is just a joke. It is meant to be humorous and entertain.

4.  Slander

   • Some stories are created with the purpose of damaging reputations.

"Many people assume that because young people are fluent in social media they are equally perceptive about what they find there. Our work shows the opposite to be true." - Sam Wineburg, lead author of the report (Source: report’s press release).