Fake News

Fake news is information that is clearly and demonstrably fabricated and that has been packaged
and distributed to appear as legitimate news. This narrow definition seeks to distinguish fake news
from other types of misleading information by clarifying that the former is patently false and was
created and presented in a way meant to deceive consumers into thinking it is real. Fake news
refers to a specific piece of information; it does not refer to any particular type of news outlet,
individual, or other actor.

Fake News Purveyor

Fake news purveyors are websites, social media pages, and accounts, or individuals who share or
aggregate fake news stories. Purveyors may attempt to spread fake news stories on purpose, and
unknowing purveyors may share fake news without realizing it’s fake. The vast majority of purveyors
do not exclusively share fake news, but instead push some combination of fake news and other
types of content, including real news or misleading information. Most -- but not all -- fake news
purveyors are hyper partisan in nature. Only the small number of sites and pages
that exclusively post fake news should be considered “fake news sites” or “fake news pages.”

Fake News Creator

Fake news creators are entities responsible for conceiving of, writing, and disseminating fake news.
This can include the owners and operators of sites that publish fake news stories and affiliated social
media accounts, as well as the manufacturers of the fake news stories -- whether they are publicly
identified or remain anonymous.

Hyper partisan Websites, Facebook Pages, and Social Media Accounts

These are websites, social media pages, or accounts designed to spread information presented
through a highly partisan, biased lens. Hyper partisan websites or Facebook pages may share a
combination of fake news and partisan content (misleading stories, partisan memes, and videos, et
cetera) that is not considered fake news but could still contain misleading or out-of-context
information designed to confirm a particular ideological view. Hyper partisan pages and accounts are
often fake news purveyors that generate shares and clicks in order to either push a particular
political view or profit from user engagement on social media platforms.

Misleading Information
Misleading or out-of-context information does not on its own constitute fake news. This kind of
information is not wholly fabricated, and it can exist within a news report that is based on actual
events that occurred. Hyper partisan sites often share a combination of fake news and posts that
simply contain misleading information or lack proper context. Widely shared stories that contain
misinformation but do not rise to the level of fake news can feed the larger ecosystem by creating a
friendly audience for fabrications.

Clickbait
Clickbait pieces are articles that feature headlines designed to get people to click on them, often by
presenting a misleading or warped sense of what the post is about. This does not necessarily
constitute fake news, as these types of headlines or accompanying posts can be technically factually
true (not fabricated) but nevertheless misleading. Fake news itself also often uses a clickbait format,
particularly since its goal is to spread to the maximum number of consumers for ideological or
financial gain. Clickbait headlines are often paired with fake news, as well as with content from hyper
partisan sites that contains misleading or out-of-context, but not necessarily fake, information.

Satire
Satire is writing or art designed to make social commentary based on mockery and imitation of real-
life events or actors. Satire is different from fake news in that its purpose is to entertain or inspire
consumers, rather than to deceive them. Some fake news sites may claim to be satirists but do not
openly advertise themselves as satire, therefore suggesting an intent to deceive. An example of
legitimate satire is The Onion, which is widely known and transparently presented as such.

Propaganda
Propaganda is misleading or highly biased information that is specifically designed to confirm or
promote a particular ideological viewpoint. Propaganda is distinct from fake news in that it originates
from politically motivated actors with the intention of driving public discussion, apart but not separate
from financial and ideological gain. It is not necessarily completely fabricated, and it is not always --
though most of the time -- designed to appear as legitimate news. Propaganda can be packaged as
fake news, with the result is both (a) patently false and (b) designed to appear real.

Conspiracy Theory
A conspiracy theory is an explanation or interpretation of events that is based on questionable or
nonexistent evidence of a supposed secret plan by a group -- often governments and mainstream
media outlets -- to obscure events. Like propaganda, conspiracy theories -- which are almost always
completely fabricated, even if individual elements of the theories contain nuggets of fact -- can be
presented as fake news when they are packaged as factual news stories.

Real news
With the infinite amount of information online, it can be difficult to decipher what
is true and accurate and what is not. Once you know the trick to identifying reliable
information, you can quickly determine if what you’re reading is accurate or not.

What is reliable information?

Reliable information must come from dependable sources. According to UGA

Libraries, a reliable source will provide a “thorough, well-reasoned theory,
argument, etc. based on strong evidence.” Widely credible sources include:

 Scholarly, peer-reviewed articles and books

 Trade or professional articles or books

 Magazine articles, books, and newspaper articles from well-established

companies

Other sources like websites and blog posts can be reliable but require further
evaluation.

You may be asking yourself, “what source is best for me?” Depending on the type
of information you need, your sources may vary. For example, if you are writing a
research paper about the psychology of communication you want to look at
journal articles and research-based reports. This is because those types of sources
typically include more information on the topic at hand.

How to identify reliable sources

What makes a source reliable? To determine whether a source is reliable or not

you must look at certain criteria. That criteria are as follows:

1. Authority: Who is the author? What are their credentials? Do they have
knowledgeable experience in the field they are writing about? What is their
reputation?
2. Accuracy: Compare the author’s information to that which you already
know is reliable. Are there proper citations? Is the information biased? If so,
does it affect research conclusions.
3. Coverage: Is the information relevant to your topic and does it meet your
needs? Consider what you need such as statistics, charts, and graphs.
4. Currency: Is your topic constantly evolving? Topics in technology and
medical innovation require sources that are up to date.

The importance of reliable information

The internet is scattered with biased, misleading, and altogether incorrect

information and that is why it is important to follow the above criteria. The
importance of using reliable sources truly boils down to effective communication.
If your knowledge is based on unreliable information you will not be a trustworthy
asset to your company.

Credible communication is key in business success and that is why you should not
just grab any information off the internet. Using unreliable sources results in
negative consequences. Credibility is especially important to
business professionals because using unreliable data can cause internal and
external stakeholders to question your decisions and rely solely on their own
opinions rather than factual data.

Hence, using credible sources for information will increase your reputation and
trustworthiness. An article by the Ivey Business Journal supports this idea by
expressing that trust is a key factor in building loyalty, increasing credibility, and
supporting effective communication.

Sources:
https://researchguides.uoregon.edu/fakenews/issues/defining
https://www.stevenson.edu/online/about-us/news/how-to-identify-reliable-information/
#:~:text=Reliable%20information%20must%20come%20from,peer%2Dreviewed%20articles%20and
%20books