scholarly journals How does Information Spread? An Exploratory Study of True and Fake News

Author(s):  
Sandeep Suntwal ◽  
Susan Brown ◽  
Mark Patton
2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 350-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teri Finneman ◽  
Ryan J. Thomas

“Fake news” became a concern for journalists in 2017 as news organizations sought to differentiate themselves from false information spread via social media, websites and public officials. This essay examines the history of media hoaxing and fake news to help provide context for the current U.S. media environment. In addition, definitions of the concepts are proposed to provide clarity for researchers and journalists trying to explain these phenomena.


Author(s):  
Janet Aver Adikpo

Today, the media environment has traversed several phases of technological advancements and as a result, there is a shift in the production and consumption of news. This chapter conceived fake news within the milieu of influencing information spread in the society, especially on the cyberspace. Using the hierarchy of influence model trajectory with fake news, it was established that it has become almost impossible to sustain trust and credibility through individual influences on online news content. The primary reason is that journalists are constrained by professional ethics, organizational routines, and ownership influence. Rather than verify facts and offer supporting claims, online users without professional orientation engage in a reproducing information indiscreetly. The chapter recommends that ethics be reconsidered as a means to recreate and imbibe journalistic values that will contend with the fake news pandemic.


Journalism ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edson C Tandoc ◽  
Darren Lim ◽  
Rich Ling

This exploratory study seeks to understand the diffusion of disinformation by examining how social media users respond to fake news and why. Using a mixed-methods approach in an explanatory-sequential design, this study combines results from a national survey involving 2501 respondents with a series of in-depth interviews with 20 participants from the small but economically and technologically advanced nation of Singapore. This study finds that most social media users in Singapore just ignore the fake news posts they come across on social media. They would only offer corrections when the issue is strongly relevant to them and to people with whom they share a strong and close interpersonal relationship.


Author(s):  
Mayckel da Silva Barreto ◽  
Carolina da Silva Caram ◽  
José Luís Guedes dos Santos ◽  
Rebeca Rosa de Souza ◽  
Herbert Leopoldo de Freitas Goes ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective: To know the perception of health professionals and their families about fake news related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Descriptive-exploratory study with a qualitative approach. Twenty-eight individuals participated, including seven physicians, seven nurses, and 14 family members. Data collection took place between August and October 2020, with audio-recorded interviews. After transcription, the content was analyzed using Content Analysis, thematic modality. Results: Three categories were identified: “Context of the occurrence and dissemination of fake news in times of pandemic”; “Consequences of fake news on the experience of the pandemic”; and “Coping strategies to contain/combat fake news”. Conclusion: Sociocultural, political, educational, and technological aspects influence the occurrence and dissemination of fake news, which have consequences such as: misinformation, self-medication, worsening in the professional-patient relationship, increased need for additional research, and fear in the population. To face the current situation, greater control by the State is required, with investigation and punishment of people who disseminate fake news, as well as greater awareness among the population on the subject.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-27
Author(s):  
Acquaye P. ◽  
Ofosu-Boateng I.

Using a focus group discussion, this study sought to understand how media audiences perceive information in the media environment in Ghana. The study found out that the prevalence of fake news on social media platforms serves as a disincentive to consumers of media messages from giving attention to information from some media platforms. Legacy media, radio and television, for many of the participants, present credible information on its platform with the belief that rigorous scrutiny is done by the media organisation before information is shared with their audiences on air. Though participants in the group discussions are often dismissive of media information they have doubts about, they occasionally, not routinely, verify information from news portals they deem credible. Participants also rely on their intuition to assess the truthfulness or otherwise of a story.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhijeet R. Shirsat ◽  
Angel F. González ◽  
Judith J. May

Purpose This study aims to understand the allure and danger of fake news in social media environments and propose a theoretical model of the phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative research study used the uses and gratifications theory (UGT) approach to analyze how and why people used social media during the 2016 US presidential election. Findings The thematic analysis revealed people were gratified after using social media to connect with friends and family and to gather and share information and after using it as a vehicle of expression. Participants found a significant number of fake news stories on social media during the 2016 US presidential election. Participants tried to differentiate between fake news and real news using fact-checking websites and news sources and interacted with the social media users who posted fake news and became part of the echo chamber. Behaviors like these emerged in the analysis that could not be completely explained by UGT and required further exploration which resulted in a model that became the core of this study. Research limitations/implications This is a small-scale exploratory study with eight diverse participants, findings should not be generalized to larger populations. Time-specific self-reporting of information from social media and fake news during the 2016 US presidential election. Upgrading public policies related to social media is recommended in the study, contributing to burgeoning policy discussions and provides recommendations for both purveyors of social media and public policymakers. Practical implications Upgrade in public policies related to social media is recommended in the study and contributes to burgeoning policy discussions and provides recommendations for both purveyors of social media and public policymakers. Social implications Social media users are spending increased time on their preferred platforms. This study increases the understanding of the nature, function and transformation of virtual social media environments and their effects on real individuals, cultures and societies.What is original/of value about the paper?This exploratory study establishes the foundation on which to expand research in the area of social media use and fake news. Originality/value This exploratory study establishes the foundation to expand research in the area of social media use and fake news.


Whatsapp, a social media app that allows instant, cross- platform messaging facility for the users to send or receive text messages, voice calls, video calls, images, documents and user location in just a single click from any location of the country. It makes the system of communication highly secure by providing the feature of end-to-end encryption. However, there are many cases observed where fake news or inaccurate information spread/ escalate like a world fire on Whatsapp. Concerning the problem (situation), we have tried to estimate the spread of Fake news on Whatsapp based on the Analytic Modeling, considering the number of feasible authors those are relevant for spreading of fake news (S), the wide variety of coetaneous authors who are highly active for posting the fake information (I), the range of authors who got the right information (R) through TV channels, newspaper etc who are inactive to spread the fake information. The conclusion came to be as unsteady because of the results that showed the trend of speeding fake news will be more in next upcoming years due to lack of awareness among the users.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Alexandru Cristian Dumitrache

In a continually changing global political environment, fake news has become a widely debated topic by both researchers and ordinary people. Despite the relevance and the diversity of approaches, few studies have focused on the typology of fake news in specialised scientific literature, while proper assessment methods and detection techniques are not well-established yet. This paper addresses the complex concept of fake news, presenting its significance and highlighting its different types, from propaganda to news satire; the moderators of the fake news effects and the ways to counter disinformation. This exploratory study reveals that solutions to combat the phenomenon exist, but they focus more on effects rather than on causes, leaving space open for further research.


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