Fake news
Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news. Fake news is also known as prototype news, junk news, pseudo-news, alternative facts or hoax news.[1][2]
It is a form of news made up of misinformation, hoaxes or outright lies spread through large news media (print and broadcast) or online social media.[3]
In many cases, fake news is spread on purpose.[4] The term was used and made popular by American President Donald Trump.[5]
Although false news has always been spread throughout history, the term "fake news" was first used in the 1890s when sensational reports in newspapers were common in the U.S.A.[6][7]
One reason fake news is more common today is that various websites pay for contributions according to the number of views. It stands to reason that a sensational claim will get more views than a correct but boring statement. Thus contributors are paid more for invented controversy than true non-sensational facts. This amounts to a premium payment for lies over truth.
Fake News Media
Reporters with various forms of "fake news" from an 1894 illustration by Frederick Burr Opper
Infographic How to spot fake news published by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst caricatured as they urged the U.S. into the Spanish–American War
Residents of New York City celebrate the news of the Armistice of 11 November 1918.
Donald Trump frequently mentioned fake news on Twitter to criticize the media in the United States, including CNN and The New York Times.
References
- ↑ Bartolotta, Devin (9 December 2016), "Hillary Clinton warns about hoax news on social media", WJZ-TV, retrieved 11 December 2016
- ↑ Wemple, Erik (8 December 2016), "Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg says people don't want 'hoax' news. Really?", The Washington Post, retrieved 11 December 2016
- ↑ Tufekci, Zeynep (January 16, 2018). "It's the (Democracy-Poisoning) Golden Age of Free Speech". Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/free-speech-issue-tech-turmoil-new-censorship?CNDID=50121752.
- ↑ Leonhardt, David; Thompson, Stuart A. (June 23, 2017). "Trump's Lies". New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/23/opinion/trumps-lies.html. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- ↑ Murphy, Jennifer. "Library Guides: Evaluating Information: Fake news in the 2016 US Elections". libraryguides.vu.edu.au. Retrieved 2018-08-12.
- ↑ "The real story of 'fake news': The term seems to have emerged around the end of the 19th century". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ↑ Soll, Jacob (December 18, 2016). "The long and brutal history of fake news". Politico Magazine. Retrieved March 25, 2019.