Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news . Fake news often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity, or making money through advertising revenue. [1] [2] Although false news has always been spread throughout history, the term "fake news" was first used in the 1890s when sensational reports in newspapers were common. [3] [4] Nevertheless, the term does not have a fixed definition and has been applied broadly to any type of false information. It's also been used by hi
The prevalence of fake news has increased with the recent rise of social media , especially the Facebook News Feed , and this misinformation is gradually seeping into the mainstream media. Several factors have been implicated in the spread of fake news, such as political polarization , post-truth politics , motivated reasoning , confirmation bias , and social media algorithms . [1] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Fake news can reduce the impact of real news by competing with it. For example, a BuzzFeed News analysis found that the top fake news stories about the 2016 U.S. presidential election received more engagement on Facebook than top stories from major media outlets. [9] It also particularly has the potential to undermine trust in serious media coverage. The term has at times been used to cast doubt upon credible news, and former U.S. president Donald Trump has been credited with popularizing the term by using