Have you ever wondered how reliable the information you find online is? This article will analyze the State of Online News, exploring the provenance of stories, how they present themselves to readers and what that means for seeking truth in a world saturated with misinformation and you can easily click resources there.
The Internet is wonderful: it’s full of enlightening information that’s accessible anytime and anywhere. However, in this age where anyone can create an “online presence” without much effort or vetting, you may have concerns about the authenticity of content on these sites. You’re not alone! In April 2018, 73% of Americans reported being worried about fake news online according to Pew Research Center’s survey data.
The State of Online News
It’s a common misconception that we can trust everything we read online because they are just words on a screen. In fact, fake websites and their creators have been around for decades . The Internet has made it easier than ever to create and disseminate convincing misinformation, especially when the creators have a specific agenda in mind. This article will explore the culture of news on the Internet, why fake news exists, and how you can spot it.
Provenance vs. Circulation
The information we find on the Internet can be sourced to original sources such as newspapers, TV news stations and websites. However, it doesn’t always have to be. Sometimes it’s created from a combination of what you read or hear from other sources and never-before-seen creations. In these cases, a news site will say they are “breaking” a story but there won’t be a link to the actual article; that’s because parts of the content were created by other sites, not by the original site itself.
The practice of creating fake news is called “seeding” and it usually involves two people. The originator (or “seeder”) will create a fake story on another website, then direct people to the fake article. The “receiver” will then take this information and repost it as a real article or headline online with a link back to the original seed. There are many ways of seeding articles, ranging from simple links back to the actual content if the fake story is short enough, to redirecting entire articles to other websites with different URLs.
How Fake News Is Created
Fake news stories are made by several groups. The people who create the fake story are known as “sockpuppets.” They create a new identity for themselves, and publish stories on a variety of different websites. The people who seed the fake news are called “trolls.” Internet trolls have been around since the dawn of websites and they post inflammatory comments and leave disruptive comments on news sites to elicit reactions from other users.
