Photo Credit: Flickr/GarryKnight
Although the term has become much discussed in the last few years, ”Fake News” is not a new phenomenon. We can find instances of it as far back as the Middle Ages, when it targeted Jews and foreigners, and in every major war – including the American Revolution, World War I and World War II – when “fake news” was a vehicle for propaganda. But the Internet age and the growth of social media have supercharged “fake news,” making distribution at little or no cost so easy, and linking to sites of questionable integrity.
This video by the Internet Foundation in Sweden shows how a fake story can spread.
By “fake news,” we mean lies that purport to be truths. Fake news outlets deliberately seek to misinform their audience for political or financial gain.
In the fall of 2016, a story pertaining to the U.S. presidential elections began making the rounds on Facebook. “Pope Francis Shocks World, Endorses Donald Trump for President,” the headline read. By Election Day, this story had garnered 960,000 engagements – including likes and shares- on the social media site. The problem? The story was not true, according to CNBC and other news outlets. It was made up by a site called WTOE 5 News and shared by Ending the Fed, a popular publisher of fake news.
Unfortunately, many public officials and other public figures now cry “fake news” in response to any news report they don’t like or deem to be biased or unflattering. Be alert to this; in such cases the cry of “fake news” often means just the opposite – that the report is true.
Fake news isn’t a uniquely American problem. Fifty-nine percent of people worldwide say it is becoming more difficult to tell if a news item was produced by a respected media outlet, according to a 2018 study by the global marketing firm Edelman. The following news stories show how fake news has an impact around the world:
- BBC- “What We’ve Learnt About Fake News in Africa”
- Al Jazeera English- “Mexico’s Elections and the Problem with Fake News”
- Global News- “Canadian’s Can’t Agree on What Fake News Really Is”
Even those with a high level of education or digital savvy can be susceptible. A study by Stanford University found that 93 percent of the college students it assessed failed to recognize that a website that posed as a nonpartisan resource for information about raising the minimum wage was actually a front for a public relations firm that represented industries that were against the minimum wage increase.
This site includes examples and tools that can sharpen your senses and help you look into reports of questionable value to verify their value and authenticity.