Clickbait. This uses exaggerated, questionable or misleading headlines, images or social media descriptions to generate web traffic. These stories are deliberately fabricated to attract readers.
Propaganda. This spreads information, rumors or ideas to harm an institution, country, group of people or individual -- typically for political gain.
Imposter content. This impersonates general news sites to contain made-up stories to deceive readers.
Biased/slanted news. This attracts readers to confirm their own biases and beliefs.
Satire. This creates fake news stories for parody and entertainment.
State-sponsored news. This operates under government control to create and spread disinformation to residents.
Misleading headlines. These stories may not be completely false but are distorted with misleading headlines and small snippets displayed in newsfeeds.
Fake news is harmful because it can create misunderstanding and confusion on important issues. Spreading false information can intensify social conflict and stir up controversy. These stories can also cause mistrust.
Fake news is harmful because it can create misunderstanding and confusion on important issues.
Fake news spreads more rapidly than other news because it appeals to the emotions, grabbing attention. Here are some ways disinformation spreads on social media:
Continuous sharing. It's easy to share and "like" content on social media. The number of people that see this content increases each time a user shares it with their social network.
Recommendation engines. Social media platforms and search engines also provide readers with personalized recommendations based on past preferences and search history. This further contributes to who sees fake news.
Engagement metrics. Social media feeds prioritize content using engagement metrics, including how often readers share or like stories. However, accuracy is not a factor.
Artificial intelligence.AI systems can also promote disinformation. AI can create realistic fake material based on the target audience. An AI engine can generate messages and test them immediately for effectiveness at swaying targeted demographics. It can also use bots to impersonate human users and spread disinformation.
Hackers. These people can plant stories into real media news outlets, appearing as though they are from reliable sources. For example, Ukrainian officials reported hackers broke into government websites and posted false news about a peace treaty.
Trolls. Fake news can also appear in the comments of reputable articles. Trolls deliberately post to upset and start arguments with other readers. They are sometimes paid for political reasons, which can play a part in spreading fake news.
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