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Fake News and Misinformation

Fake News- what is in a name?

We keep hearing the term fake news, but what does it mean?  Fake news is not new, but how it is being used in today's environment is something to be considered.  According to Wikipedia, Fake news is "a type of yellow journalism or propaganda that consists of deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional news media or online social media".

Examples:

  • information that comes from known fake news sites
  • information that may be authentic but has been manipulated out of context
  • parody or salacious content
  • fake websites designed to look like known websites

File:The fin de siècle newspaper proprietor (cropped).jpg

Frederick Burr Opper https://www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsca.29087/