Is it real or not?
Identifying fake news in today's world
First...Some Facts
According to a recent Pew Research Center study:
- 62% of Americans get their news from social media and 44% get their news from Facebook specifically.
- Of those who get news on at least one of the social media sites, the majority (64%) get their news on just one platform, most commonly Facebook.
- In addition, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram news users are more likely to get their news online mostly “by chance,” while they are online doing other things.
- Nearly 90% of millennials regularly get news from Facebook.
So what is fake news?
- Fake news websites publish untrue or fake information in order to drive web traffic to the site. The goal is to mislead readers to believe the stories and to make money through advertising. Social media sites are used to spread the fake news. Some fake news sites contain factual news stories that are used to camouflage the fact that other news stories are untrue and fake.
- Misleading news often contains some truth including a fact, event or quote that has been taken out of context. This news can be difficult to debunk.
- Satirical news often covers current events and then uses humor or sarcasm to comment on politics or another topical issue. A good example of satire news is The Onion. Satirical news does not intend to mislead and profit from readers believing the stories as true.
- Tabloid news is a style of news that emphasizes sensational crime stories, gossip columns about celebrities.
How does fake news spread and make money?
- Fake news creators make money in very similar ways from how traditional news companies make money, from advertisements. They have display advertising for which they receive a small portion (i.e. a few cents) for every person who visits that page.
- Their goal is to get the news to go viral so a lot of people will visit; more social shares mean more page views which result in more money. The result? Click bait.
- During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, a group of Macedonian teenagers were among the most successful creating fake news and were earning up to $5,000 a month.
Dangerous or Not?
Is fake news dangerous to the public? Why or why not?
Is there one type of fake news that is more dangerous than the other? Explain.
Is it real or is it not?
- Write down the headline and whether you think the story is real or not.
- Write down one or two reasons to support your thinking.
Let's Discuss
- Was it easy or difficult to determine whether the news was fake or real? Please explain.
- What were some clues that the news was not true?
- How did you feel when you found a news story was fake if you originally thought it was real?
So how can you tell the difference between what is real and what is not?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_KL8qWZSe4
Websites that help you detect fake news
Other ways you can spot fake news
https://youtu.be/g2AdkNH-kWA
Live Session 5 Assignment
Please submit the following into the drop box/comment box of Live Session 5:
- The date and time of your session.
- In 2 or more complete sentences, answer the following question: Is fake news dangerous to the public? Why or why not. Be sure to support your answer with specific reasons.
- Be sure to complete this assignment for each course that you're taking.