News: Fake News

Fake news is information that is clearly and demonstrably fabricated and that has been packaged and distributed to appear as legitimate news. This narrow definition seeks to distinguish fake news from other types of misleading information by clarifying that the former is patently false and was created and presented in a way meant to deceive consumers into thinking it is real. Fake news refers to a specific piece of information; it does not refer to any particular type of news outlet, individual, or other actor.  - Understanding the Fake News Universe by Media Matters for America

"Instances of erroneous reporting do not reveal an intent to deceive on their own, nor do they imply a complete fabrication of a story." - Understanding the Fake News Universe by Media Matters for America

Fake news is not to be confused with satirical news as seen on shows like "Saturday Night Live" and "Last Week Tonight."  Fake news is not a humorous comment on the news.  Rather, fake news seeks to supplant the news, to sway its audience into believing all sorts of untruths and conspiracy theories, the more bizarre, the better."  - Leonard Pitts, "Newspapers, the Answer to Fake News." Baltimore Sun, December 1, 2016.

75% of American adults who viewed a fake news headline viewed the story as accurate.  Read the study conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for BuzzFeed News.  

Craig Silverman, the Media Editor for BuzzFeed News, talked about how false news stories spread and why people believe them during an interview on Fresh Air, December 14, 2016.

In the November 11, 2016 issue of The New York Times, Sapna Maheshwari's presents a case study showing how fake news goes viral.  

• We Tracked Down a Fake News Creator in the Suburbs. Here's What We Learned, NPR, Nov. 23, 2016
• Fake News, Real Consequences, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, December 7, 2016.  [Warning: this video includes language that may be inappropriate for children.]  
• Russian Thinkfluencers:  Samantha Bee interviews two Russian trolls who were paid to disseminate misinformation related to the 2016 Presidential election, Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, October 21, 2016. [Warning: this video includes language that may be inappropriate for children.]  

• Be a savvy info consumer.  Evaluate content.  
• Identify fake news.
• Don't share fake news.
• Read news in context.  Go directly to the newspaper or news organization's website.  
• Be aware that "none of us rationally consume information.  It's all processed through existing beliefs and knowledge." - Craig Silverman, wttw.com