What is Fake News?

Fake news refers to false information or propaganda published under the guise of being authentic. The mission of fake news isn’t for financial gain, but rather for luring people in via click baiting and then getting content consumers to spread the false information. Websites spoof real news techniques and styles to trick readers, creating sites that strongly resemble authentic sites like MSNBC or CNN. Fake news has become significant recently within the United States as the democrats and republicans blame each other’s for spreading it. Both Facebook and Google have also had a large role in spreading fake news with stories being spread through Facebook and being boosted by Google search results

How to spot it:

To spot fake news contributors, check the website; see if the whole thing seems legitimate, look at the author; see if they are ‘’trustworthy’’ or even real, check that the site contains references and links to other sources, Do not share or link back to fake news stories or publications unless it’s for purposes of having them banned Also, avoid social media trolls. Most of them are full of anger and misinformation .and have no interest in conveying information. Read through the whole story, don’t just get entranced by the opening paragraph. Pay attention to the quality and timeliness of the source; are there any obvious spelling errors or is the story current or recycled.

Trust:

If more fake news continues to be released, the faith in news reporters and journalists will be lost. The main legal recourse against fakes is defamation. Australia’s trust in news is at only 46%, much lower than other countries. You can sue the writer for defamation if they have written something false about you and you have suffered damage as a result- like losing a job, tarnishing your credibility, etc. However the major issue surrounding the protection of fake news is that the only strong defence against it comes down to ethical issues, no laws or clauses strongly help to prevent fake news. As a journalist, releasing prefabricated information comes as an ethical issue that can be held against them even in court if it turns out they realized said information to purposely defame or hurt the person that the story was published about. While in America, the concept of fake news was made popular by the president so it became a bigger issue, leading to less faith in certain news station and especially social network. Whereas Australia didn’t have as much as a jolt when it comes to opposing fake news so public opinion on news has mainly stayed the same.

Suspect from Michigan accused of threatening to commit mass murder:

With more awareness surrounding fake news recently, people have started reacting more aggressive towards news publishers that they believe deliver fake news. For example, 19 year old Brandon Griesemer from Michigan has been arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot and kill employees in Atlanta, Georgia on the 23rd of January, 2018, telling an operator ‘’Fake news, I coming to gun you down’’. The gunman apparently had the same opinion as the US president as Donald Trump when he put CNN as the third highest for his award for ‘’fake news coverage’’. He views them as the ”enemy of America”. This is more famously known when on his first press conference he refused to answer a CNN reporter’s question, claiming he’s fake news. This case fully cements the fact that some people have become overly paranoid at the thought of being lied too and are taking serious steps to prevent that. it is the duty of a reporter to know that they are voice for the people on how they receive information and should release the weight of what they could cause by faking news.