The problem of fake news, especially on the social network platforms, has roused controversy around the globe. Information can be relayed through the Internet when it is not edited or reviewed for facts (Allcott & Gentzkow, 2017). For example, after the 2016 US presidential elections, concerns were raised over the spread of fake news on social media. Since many people in the US rely on social media for news, they became victims of fake news on such platforms as Facebook and Twitter (Allcott & Gentzkow, 2017).
In the US example, fake news took political angles, taking masses of populations with them in the debate on the better side between Democrats and Republicans. In the US elections aftermath, questions on the role played by social media sites such as Facebook were raised, with concerns pointing to the role of a public relations firm called Cambridge Analytica in the US elections.
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"Internet Controversy: Fake News".
The problem of fake news has attracted the interest of policymakers in the role it plays in shaping public opinion. It is not always easy for people to differentiate between fake and real news, and that opens the chance for misinterpretation of information (Wingfield, Isaac, & Benner, 2016). Traditional media companies face challenges of providing rebuttals for fake news while implementing their journalistic strategies at the same time. While that helps in decreasing the level of misinformation, it does not stop the creation of fake news and their role in democratic discourses.
- Allcott, H., & Gentzkow, M. (2017). Social media and fake news in the 2016 election. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 31(2), 211-36.
- Wingfield, N., Isaac, M., & Benner, K. (2016). Google and Facebook take aim at fake news sites. The New York Times, 11, 12.
