With the advent of modern journalism and the omnipresent 24-hour news cycle, the constant bombardment of information available on the airwaves, in print and at the touch of a button can be a little overwhelming to the average person.
This oversaturation of journalism is especially daunting with the spread of the recently popularized term, “fake news,” by President Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign.
What began as a method to deflect and discredit criticism from media outlets soon turned into a commonplace term in American politics and media; changing the journalistic landscape for the worst.
What exactly is fake news, and why is it dangerous?
According to Cambridge Dictionary fake news is defined as, “False stories that appear to be news, spread on the internet or using other media, usually created to influence political views or as a joke.”
Because anyone can post content to the internet, a very fine line is drawn between intentionally biased “fake news” articles and political satire sites such as The Onion. When one cannot differentiate between truthful journalism and satire, everybody suffers as a result.
Fake news has caused a shift in journalistic integrity and muddied credibility since anyone can claim something published from a news source that they do not agree with is “fake” news, especially if this platform is seemingly endorsed by the highest office in the country.
National Public Radio’s analysis of President Trump’s tweets in August showed that 46 tweets contained the terms “fake,” “fake news” or “phony.”
What Mr. Trump describes as fake is often simply something he does not agree with.
However, this egregious practice of fake news and witch hunts actively harms unbiased media by wavering public trust in the institutions who can, and will, criticize the government. While it’s true that fake news does exist and there are those who use it to further their own agenda, it’s important that one look at stories with a critical eye before deeming it to be fake or not.
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has provided a helpful series of steps to consider when determining a piece of journalism to be fake or not.
First determine whether the site is credible or not. If you don’t recognize the publisher or organization, try to educate yourself on what their mission statement might be.
Next, read beyond the headline. The practice of “yellow journalism” has taken hold of many online news sources.
According to the United States Office of the Historian yellow journalism is, “A style of… reporting that emphasized sensationalism over facts.” This attempts to draw in viewers by sensationalizing news and potentially making things seem to be larger and more exciting than they might be. Reading the entire article can give you the whole story.
Check the author and their sources. Do they even have sources?
A quick way to spot whether an article is fake or not is if it has a lack of sources to support their claims. Make sure the article is up-to-date and not obviously satire. Determine whether the article’s potential political bias or your own political beliefs sway your judgement. Finally, if you’re still not sure, ask another credible source or someone with knowledge on the matter.
In the age of technology when the wealth of the world’s collective information is available in our pockets, it is important to keep a critical mind to what is presented to us. Don’t immediately believe in what some may call “fake” news, but do not allow yourself to be fooled by the real fake news.
