Globalisation and fake news
The Guardian & the global problem of fake news
Guardian feature - Fake news: an insidious trend that's fast becoming a global problem
2) What similarities do you notice between the different countries outlined in the article and their problems with fake news?
Most of the countries mentioned in the article state that fake news has affected the outcomes of recent elections, as they distribute false information about politicians on the internet. Furthermore, with the circulation of these news stories on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, people are also protesting certain issues that were influenced by fake news.
3) Is fake news an inevitable consequence of the "culture of freedom and innovation" that the internet has brought with it? Is there a way to stop it?
Yes, I believe that it is the case, as the "culture of freedom and innovation" essentially allowed fake news to flourish. Many developments in new and digital media, allow audiences all over the world to publish content online that can be accessible to almost anyone. Also since we rely on digital media nowadays to help us find out about current events, we are exposed to a large number of content in which we think is reliable since its on a popular platform e.g Twitter or Facebook. However, this makes it easier for "internet trolls" to manipulate audiences, and post content that is inaccurate.
New York Times and the creation of fake news
New York Times feature - Inside a Fake News Sausage Factory: ‘This Is All About Income’
2) Which fake news stories were particularly successful for Beqa Latsabidze, the 22-year-old student in Tbilisi, Georgia, who tried to make money from web articles on Trump?
One of the stories that received a lot of views was the one about President Obama moving to Canada if Trump won. Other stories that were included on the fake news sites were about the Mexican government closing their borders to Americans.
3) How much can Facebook and Google be blamed for this global rise in fake news?
I think Facebook and Google are only party to blame for the rise in fake news as their ad displaying system is derived from algorithms that utilize the persons search history on Google. During the election and the time leading up to it, Donald Trump and other issues that were related to his shock presidency were the main topics that were being searched on Google. This therefore influenced what was being displayed on Google ads and inevitably, fake news stories/organisations, who realized that they could make money through these popular topics. took the opportunity to create content that would appeal to a rather large demographic. Since audiences were bombarded with news on Trump, it was difficult, and still remains to this day, to distinguish what stories were real and which ones weren't. Nonetheless, it did mention in the article that Google would "ban websites that host fake news" and that Facebook is coming up with "simpler ways for users to flag suspicious content".
Guardian feature - Fake news: an insidious trend that's fast becoming a global problem
2) What similarities do you notice between the different countries outlined in the article and their problems with fake news?
Most of the countries mentioned in the article state that fake news has affected the outcomes of recent elections, as they distribute false information about politicians on the internet. Furthermore, with the circulation of these news stories on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, people are also protesting certain issues that were influenced by fake news.
3) Is fake news an inevitable consequence of the "culture of freedom and innovation" that the internet has brought with it? Is there a way to stop it?
Yes, I believe that it is the case, as the "culture of freedom and innovation" essentially allowed fake news to flourish. Many developments in new and digital media, allow audiences all over the world to publish content online that can be accessible to almost anyone. Also since we rely on digital media nowadays to help us find out about current events, we are exposed to a large number of content in which we think is reliable since its on a popular platform e.g Twitter or Facebook. However, this makes it easier for "internet trolls" to manipulate audiences, and post content that is inaccurate.
New York Times and the creation of fake news
New York Times feature - Inside a Fake News Sausage Factory: ‘This Is All About Income’
2) Which fake news stories were particularly successful for Beqa Latsabidze, the 22-year-old student in Tbilisi, Georgia, who tried to make money from web articles on Trump?
One of the stories that received a lot of views was the one about President Obama moving to Canada if Trump won. Other stories that were included on the fake news sites were about the Mexican government closing their borders to Americans.
3) How much can Facebook and Google be blamed for this global rise in fake news?
I think Facebook and Google are only party to blame for the rise in fake news as their ad displaying system is derived from algorithms that utilize the persons search history on Google. During the election and the time leading up to it, Donald Trump and other issues that were related to his shock presidency were the main topics that were being searched on Google. This therefore influenced what was being displayed on Google ads and inevitably, fake news stories/organisations, who realized that they could make money through these popular topics. took the opportunity to create content that would appeal to a rather large demographic. Since audiences were bombarded with news on Trump, it was difficult, and still remains to this day, to distinguish what stories were real and which ones weren't. Nonetheless, it did mention in the article that Google would "ban websites that host fake news" and that Facebook is coming up with "simpler ways for users to flag suspicious content".
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