Where could it have come from?

Fake news could start as disinformation (things deliberately made up for a specific
purpose) or end up being misinformation (false content shared accidentally by people
who don’t know that the information is inaccurate).
It might have been:
 misheard or misquoted from a real news piece
 made up to make money or clicks for a website
 designed to promote a person, party or point of view
 misunderstood from a joke or parody post and taken as a fact.
If this information matches our own beliefs, we’re more likely to take it as a fact
because of confirmation bias. And even if it’s not something we would normally
believe, the shocking nature of the content might play on our emotions and get us to
share it.

How does the sharing start?

Sharing usually starts in small, trusted networks before going on to be widely seen
across the internet. These might be groups on messaging apps like a family chat, or
social media pages and groups full of like-minded members.
We all trust our family and friends, so when they send something on to us that might
contain false information, we’re more likely to believe them – and then in turn share it
with others that we trust too. Imagine a web of contacts slowly getting larger as fake
news is passed between different trusted networks; that’s how the sharing starts.
Sometimes this process is helped by bots (fake accounts programmed to spread a story
to as many people as possible) and trolls (real accounts who like to harass and
intimidate other people online), who aim to push fake news onto lots of social media
timelines. They might do this for money, political gain, or even just for fun.

When does it go viral?

If false information catches the eye of accounts who have large followings and they
decide to share it too, it could be seen by lots and lots of people.
A recent study by the University of Oxford’s Reuters Institute found that even though
only 20% of fake news stories were produced or shared by famous public figures, these
posts made up nearly 70% of the total engagements on social media. These “super-
spreaders” can easily amplify false information online, which their followers are likely
to trust as they look up to them.
But you don’t have to be famous to be a super-spreader. Often, false information can
flare up just as quickly through friends and family connections.
Think about what would happen if the most popular person in school supported a fake
news story, or if an aunt or uncle shared a meme with made-up information in all the
family group chats.
 
At this point, the false information might only be a small step away from being
published as a fact on another website. Some news sites are so keen to get the latest
scoop that they could rush into publishing it just because it’s popular. Some websites
will look like news sites, but in reality are only run by one or two people as a blog.
Remember that not everything is what it looks like on the outside. It’s important to note
that trusted news sources will always fact-check and verify before reporting new stories.

What can we do?

As the spread of false information can quickly spiral out of control, remember to pause
before you share – whether it’s a headline, image, screenshot, video or meme.

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zcr8r2p

confirmation bias: it’s the tendency to process information by looking for, or

interpreting, information that is consistent with one’s existing beliefs
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