Fake news and its rise in popularity

When the term "fake news" is thrown around generously, it may be difficult to define what is and isn't fake news. False information cleverly disguised flows through social media hiding amongst real news. Journalists already must earn the public's trust and prove they are providing unbias and accurate information. However, with fake news receiving more attention than real news stories, they must work even harder, as the majority of the public sees it as journalists' responsibility to dispel false news. 

Aside from the negative impact, that fake news has on journalists, the public constantly being exposed to false stories leads to confusion and misinformation. That gives people the wrong information and could also defame the subjects. If a phony story is written about an individual, it could damage their reputation with false facts. Additionally, if someone reads a fake story, they may be less inclined to seek out information again out of fear of false information. Widening the divide between journalists and the public.

Image from NSTA

According to The Atlantic, fake news is shared far more frequently than legitimate news up to 70 percent. In the article The Grim Conclusions of the Largest-Ever Study of Fake News, The Atlantic discusses the potential reasoning behind the surge of false news instead of real news. The large amounts of sharing fake news stories can not be pinned on robots, as they amplify false news stories as much as true ones. As a political scientist quoted, one explanation for the imbalance of post sharing is the evoking of strong emotions. People seem to be drawn to the novel aspect of the fake stories with more room for excitement. Therefore, the fake news stories are more exciting and juicy, eliciting shares and retweets. What does this mean for the truth, the facts? Fake news can do more than damper the reputation of journalism; the spread of false information can be misleading to unknowing readers.

Today journalism is critical in bringing coverage and new information about the COVID-19 pandemic. An article by Santa Clara University brings up five subtle ways that misinformation is presented in journalism during the pandemic. Journalists must be careful how they word and present information in articles about COVID-19. Stories must be careful not to frame advancements as final resolutions or negate successes. Journalists must also accurately quote and not edit to make statements to have different effects than intended.