Research Guides: Fake News, Misleading Information, and Evaluating Sources: Problem

60 Minutes: Misinformation Spreads on Social Media (13:25)

Fake news and misinformation in the news

Stateline: "'Firehose' of election conspiracy theories floods final days of the campaign" (Oct. 24, 2024)
"In the final days of the presidential election, lies about noncitizens voting, the vulnerability of mail-in ballots and the security of voting machines are spreading widely over social media."
Politifact: Fact-checking 5 misleading claims about Helene relief efforts in North Carolina (Oct. 5, 2024)
A surge of misinformation has bubbled up as federal and state agencies and officials have led relief efforts for people affected by Hurricane Helene’s deadly storm system.
CBS News: Local News The AI Election: Experts warn of misinformation leading up to voting day (August 16, 2024)
After 15,000 or so attended a Kamala Harris rally near Detroit, Michigan, a user on X posted a photo of an AI generated crowd, claiming Harris' crowd was not real.
"That's a great example of disinformation," Rege said. "This is where I think we need better regulation."
NPR: Meta shutters tool to used to fight disinformation, despite outcry (August 14, 2024)
"Meta decided to kill one of the best tools that civil society had to monitor and report on the hate speech and election interference that is almost certain to proliferate on its platform.”
Reuters: "We fact-checked some of the rumors spreading online about the Trump assassination attempt" (July 16, 2024)
"Reuters has fact-checked some of the most widely shared narratives online."
Washington Post: How to avoid falling for misinformation and conspiracy theories (July 15, 2024)
"Across social media, posts can fly up faster than most fact-checkers and moderators can handle, and they are often an unpredictable mix of true, fake, out of context and straight propaganda."
NPR: Some TikTok influencers are maligning sunscreen. Here's what to know about the claims (June 17, 2024)
"Tiktok is full of videos with influencers giving advice on health and skin care. But when it comes to sunscreen there’s also a lot of misinformation – false claims that sunscreen is toxic and worse than the sun damage it helps prevent."
VOA: "In US, fake news websites now outnumber real local media sites." (June 20, 2024)
"Fake websites masquerading as news now outnumber legitimate local news websites, with Russia playing a leading role in their proliferation, say media analysts."
ProofNews.org: "Leading AI Companies Fail to Address Problems With Inaccurate Election Information" (March 26, 2024)
AI models continue to provide inaccurate and misleading responses to voter queries.
NYT: "When the Storm Online Is Worse Than the One Outside" (February 1, 2024)
"As misinformation permeates social media and online platforms, exasperated scientists and emergency officials say they are fighting an increasingly uphill battle to protect the weather report."
CNN: "A fake recording of a candidate saying he’d rigged the election went viral. Experts say it’s only the beginning" (February 1, 2024)
"Various forms of disinformation can shape public opinion, as evidenced by the widely held false belief that Trump won the 2020 election. But generative AI amplifies that threat by enabling anyone to cheaply create realistic-looking content that can rapidly spread online."
Columbia Journalism Review: "‘Pink Slime’: Partisan journalism and the future of local news" (Jan. 26, 2024)
"As we hurtle towards 2024 elections, interest in pink slime journalism and the continued growth of partisan local outlets with deep, often opaque, ties to dark money, advocacy groups and other special interests has only grown."
NBC News: "Disinformation poses an unprecedented threat in 2024 — and the U.S. is less ready than ever" (January 18, 2024)
As the presidential election approaches, experts warn that a convergence of events at home and abroad, on traditional and social media — and amid an environment of rising authoritarianism, deep distrust, and political and social unrest — makes the dangers from propaganda, falsehoods and conspiracy theories more dire than ever.
APA: "This election year, fighting misinformation is messier and more important than ever" (Jan. 1, 2024)
During the U.S. presidential election in 2016, “fake news” was the phrase on everyone’s lips. Two election cycles later, the threat of misinformation has only become more insidious.

How to Combat Fake News: Advice from Top Journalists (3:09)

What Is the Problem?

Why should you care about whether your news is real or fake?

You deserve the truth. You are smart enough to make up your own mind - as long as you have the real facts in front of you. You have every right to be insulted when you are presented with fake news, because you are in essence being treated like an idiot.
Fake news destroys your credibility. If your arguments are built on bad information, it will be much more difficult for people to believe you now and in the future.
Fake news can hurt you, and a lot of other people. Purveyors of fake and misleading medical advice like Mercola.com and NaturalNews.com help perpetuate myths like HIV and AIDS aren't related, or that vaccines cause autism. These sites are heavily visited and their lies are dangerous.
Real news can benefit you. If you want to buy stock in a company, you want to read accurate articles about that company so you can invest wisely. If you are planning on voting in an election, you want to read as much good information on a candidate so you can vote for the person who best represents your ideas and beliefs. Fake news will not help you make money or make the world a better place, but real news can.