The authenticity of Information has become a longstanding issue affecting businesses and society, both for printed and digital media. On social networks, the reach and effects of information spread occur at such a fast pace and so amplified that distorted, inaccurate or false information acquires a tremendous potential to cause real world impacts, within minutes, for millions of users giving the rise to “fake news”. Fake news or fabricated information that is patently false, has become a major phenomenon in the context of Internet-based media. It has received serious attention in a variety of fields, with scholars investigating the antecedents, characteristics, and consequences of its creation and dissemination. Usually, these stories are created to either influence people’s views, push a political agenda or cause confusion and can often be a profitable business for online publishers. False information can deceive people by looking like trusted websites or using similar names and web addresses to reputable news organisations.
The Rise of False Information
False information is not new; being older than the first Century BC, but under the rule of the internet and the emergence of social media has just added fuel to the fire. Traditionally we got our news from trusted sources including journalists and media outlets that are required to follow strict codes of practice. However, the internet has enabled a whole new way to publish, share and consume information and news at a rapid speed with very little regulation or editorial standards. Many people now get news from social media sites and networks and often it can be difficult to tell whether stories are credible or not. According to Martina Chapman (Media Literacy Expert), there are three elements to fake news: Mistrust, misinformation and manipulation. Information overload and a general lack of understanding about how the internet works by people has also contributed to an increase in fake news or hoax stories. Social media sites can play a big part in increasing the reach of these type of stories.
The False Information Business Model
The internet and social media have made it very easy for anyone to publish content on a website, blog or social media profile and potentially reach large audiences.With so many people now getting news from social media sites, many content creators/publishers have used this to their advantage. False information can be a profitable business, generating large sums of advertising revenue for publishers who create and publish stories that go viral. The more clicks a story gets, the more money online publishers make through advertising revenue and for many publishers social media is an ideal platform to share content and drive web traffic.
Consequences of Fake News
The spread of fake news can have both personal and academic consequences. In a perfect world everything reported would be based on facts and you would be able to trust that the media you consume is reliable. But unfortunately, that’s not the case. As a student you are expected to find, evaluate, and reference trustworthy information sources in a variety of formats. If fake news is included as evidence for your arguments or as part of your research it may raise doubts about the integrity of the sources used as a whole and the ability to identify quality information. It can also be dangerous to do something without having all the facts, but it can be just as detrimental to do so based on inaccurate information. Whether it’s political, medical, academic, or personal, a reliable source of information should be recognized to make an intelligent, fact-based choice. As more and more individuals fall for information online that directly opposes scientific research, researchers are increasingly put in the position of having to defend the validity of their findings. When information dissemination was limited to print, television, and radio there was less opportunity for individuals to publicly comment on, criticize, or refute knowledge presented by experts. With the internet, it is now possible for groups to push misinformation that aligns with their beliefs and disparage that which does not.
What can we do about False Information?
Companies like Google and Facebook have announced new measures to tackle fake news with the introduction of reporting and flagging tools.Media organisations like the BBC and Channel 4 have also established fact checking sites While these are welcome developments, digital media literacy and developing skills to critically evaluate information are essential skills for anyone navigating the internet and especially for young people.
The spread of anti-vaccination misinformation on social media, (and its implications for public health and the global fight against COVID-19) is a textbook example of how deadly misinformation can be. Misinformation can have real life consequences for individuals, businesses and public authorities. Besides the recent pandemic, fake news is another virus we should focus on tackling.
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