Understanding Fake News: How to Navigate Sources

By Wilson Schultz, September 22, 2021

Fake news is described as a combination of “disinformation, mal-information, and misinformation” that is usually shared by social media (UNESCO 2021). Disinformation is information that is false which is created deliberately to harm “a person, social group, organization, or country” (UNESCO 2021). Misinformation is also false but is not created with the intent to harm. Mal-information is different, as it is based on reality, but it is used to inflict harm on the same groups as disinformation. As fake news is a combination of these three types of false information, it can be complicated to tell exactly what kind of false information that these sources are creating. Fake news can be very harmful to others or oneself, by relying on fake information or stretching the truth to harm others, it can lure readers into a sense of false reality by providing enough information to sway viewpoints in misleading directions.

Online journalism, as a relatively new form of media that journalists rely on, is especially susceptible to onslaughts of fake news. This could come as a social media post from a non-credible source claiming that their information is unequivocally true, or as a whole website/news organization dedicated to writing fake or misleading stories to try and push an agenda. The level of fake news currently within the world of online journalism is so high that many media sites have had to create new algorithms to attempt to subdue the spread of false information.

The Elm, a publication by the University of Maryland, states that the harm of fake news “Change[s] people’s beliefs, attitudes, or perceptions, so they will ultimately change their behavior” (University of Maryland 2020). Websites and news publications that rely on fake news are especially dangerous, given that they can spread false information by either imitating or claiming to be a legitimate news source. For example, Empire News and its website Empirenews.org, which runs fake news stories around the clock such as “Michelle Obama Files For Divorce After Shocking Revelation; Barack Obama Admits: ‘I’m Gay!’” (Empire News 2020). This example is one of Disinformation, where the information presented is created to specifically harm Former President Obama and is not based on any sort of facts. While Empire News stands out as one of the less believable fake news sources out there, there are still many that exist such as Global Times, InfoWars, NewsPunch, TrueTrumpers.com, and many, many more.

Journalism, ‘fake news’ and disinformation: A handbook for journalism education and training. UNESCO. (2021, May 7).

Potato, B. T. E. N. (2020, January 18). Michelle Obama files for divorce After Shocking Revelation; Barack Obama admits: ‘i’m gay!’. Empire News.

University of Maryland, B. (2020, November 11). The dangers of fake news. The Elm.