Fake news is 6 times more popular. Ordinary people are more attracted to these fake news. You proved yourself how an article about a fake news attracted you from thousands of other posts. Do not be shocked, think with a little importance!
Many important, necessary posts are coming up in various social media and other media every day. But a closer look reveals that they rarely attract the attention of ordinary people. But when suddenly a shocking news comes in front of someone, it becomes very difficult for him to refrain from watching it. Although it is not relevant or necessary to the individual.
Wikipedia defines fake news as:
False news is false or misleading information presented as news. The purpose of fake news is often to tarnish the reputation of a person or entity or to make money through advertisements.
According to a MIT study, on Twitter, false news spreads faster than true stories.
Research says that ‘fake news’ on Facebook received six times more clicks than trusted sources.
As per The Washington Post,
Misinformation on Facebook got six times more clicks than factual news during the 2020 election, study says.
Fake News VS False Information
Fake news and False Information. Both terms is adjacent. But there is a far difference between this two word. Experts recommend to avoiding the term ‘fake news’, as the term ‘fake news’ is closely associated with politics, and this association can unhelpfully narrow the focus of the issue. The term ‘false information’ is more preferable to experts. As it can refer to a diverse range of disinformation covering topics such as health, environmental and economics across all platforms and genres, while ‘fake news’ is more narrowly understood as political news stories.
How to Detect False Information?
There are a few number of things to notice when assessing content online.
- Take a closer look
- Look beyond the headline
- Check other sources
- Check the facts
- Check your biases
- Is it a joke?