Fake News: Defining the Masses

Emily O'Flynn
ef856814@ohio.edu

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines fake news as "a political story which is seen as damaging to an agency, entity, or person... it is by no means restricted to politics, and seems to have currency in terms of general news."

Fake news has spiraled into distrust of the media.

In reference to Donald Trump, one reporter from the Columbia Journalism Review argues, "The former blurred the definition of fake news by relying on a report from an anonymous internet group that lumped left-wing news sites in with Kremlin-backed stooges."

In reality, I believe we should be blaming ourselves rather than the media. While we are debating over the definition of fake news, we are further defining who we are as people.

According to a Buzzfeed article, 23 best-performing fake news stories on Facebook in 2016 combined for about 10.6 million engagements - shares, reactions, and comments - or about 460,000 apiece. Not only are people around the world forming opinions about the United States based on news that has not been fact-checked, but they are also sharing it to further intoxicate the minds of potential fake news victims - those who have fallen into the trap of believing what is not true.

"It's the biggest crisis facing our democracy, the failing business model of real journalism," said Senator Claire McCaskill, Democrat of Missouri in a New York Times article. McCaskill stands with 32 percent of Americans who have lost faith in the news media. This growing percentage of distrust is further obliterating the reputation of journalists everywhere.

If we can't trust the media and our friends or family over social media, then who can we trust? I trust myself. Although, I can be intrigued by some catchy headlines, I still have the decency to research the story before I share it on my timeline. I feel it is our duty as Americans to have a little insight into what we are posting before we click the "Tweet" button. By sharing inaccurate information, you are perpetuating the fake news culture, and diminishing the stature of the journalism industry as a whole.

What are three steps we can take to end fake news?

• Fact-check articles before you share them. What news outlet did you share this information from? Is it an accredited news source? Do your research. You owe it to your friends and family on social media to at least share accurate information.

• Consider that most news sources have a media bias. After reading an article, research the topic in different news outlets to view how one article may have been leading you to sway a certain way in your beliefs. Only trusting one news source with your news is ignorant and can be detrimental to how you form opinions.

• Share this information with your loved ones. Tell your friends and family how to fact-check sources and take into account media biases. How can we prepare our future generations to trust the media if we can't even take precautionary steps to find the truth ourselves?

  

  (image via cagle.com)