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Combatting ‘fake news’ is difficult but necessary
Deception and disinformation are age-old concepts, so perhaps it’s no surprise that the term ‘fake news’ has exploded in popularity recently. Technology has made it easier than ever to amplify and spread news, meaning more messages are shared without being fact checked. Meanwhile, social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have taken different stances on how to police disinformation and what constitutes ‘fake news,” as more people are getting information through trending topics. Despite all the attention, inaccurate news stories still sneak their way into entertainment and politics, often dominating news cycles before ultimately being corrected.
Research estimates that at least 60 percent of news stories that are shared online have not been read by the person sharing them. This is because strong emotions like affection and moral outrage are extremely effective and can increase the likelihood that someone shares a story. People rarely dig deeper than a summary of an article, however, and a weighty headline may be all it takes to convince someone to pass a story along to their network. The same study also found that these peer-to-peer shares actually influence the types of news stories that are circulated by major publications. In fact, ‘fake news’ is an increasingly lucrative business model for a number of Internet entrepreneurs who rely on outrage and…
