DAVID ADAMS takes a quick look at the trend for ‘fake news’…
TAKING A DEEPER LOOK: Where does the news you’re reading come from? PICTURE: Jenny W/www.freeimages.com
Beware of what you read. It seems you can’t click on a news website these days without reading about the scourge of ‘fake news’ that seems to be sweeping across the world. The issue has drawn the attention of such political heavyweights as losing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton who this week described it as an “epidemic” that threatens democracy itself. Clinton’s mentioning of the issue is not surprising given the proliferation of fake news on social media during the US presidential election campaign. Such is the problem that both Facebook and Google have recently announced new initiatives aimed at cracking down on fake or misleading news. To be sure, ‘fake news’ is not a new issue – just think back to the “penny papers” that used to haunt London’s streets in the Victorian era or the US magazine-style tabloids that tell of UFO or Bigfoot sightings – but the way in which it is spread by the internet – in particular via social media – certainly is new ground. If you’re uncertain how to tell what’s real and what’s fake, the US-based FactCheck website recently published a list of factors to consider including the source of the news, what the story actually says without just relying on the headline (even on legitimate websites, the headline don’t always tell the complete story) and what evidence the story provides to support any claims it makes. And while there’s always room for satire (and there’s plenty of that, hopefully clearly marked, on the web as well), just much sure you don’t confuse it for actual news.
