What Contributes to the Ease of Disseminating and Accepting Fake News? - Paper Example

Fake news generally entails the passing of critical information, which is misguided. It involves the message being false and often sensational, which is disseminated under the guise of news reporting. There are various effects of fake news, which include confusing current issues and events. Technology has played a significant role in the ease of disseminating and accepting fake news. This is because the information disseminated can travel very quickly, leading to spread further (Marshall). Therefore, it is essential to prevent fake news from being innovated to guard against this menace as it can have serious repercussions.

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Fake news includes spreading fabricated news and information which have no basis and has not been verified. There are various reasons as to why fake news always finds its way to the public. We often crave information through the various platforms that we obtain our news from, such as social media. We are then caught up in not being able to verify the news. It is because we consume the news not just because of the facts, but rather because it is sensationalist (Gusterson). Besides, it causes leads to the dissemination of fake news.

Fake news always comes as any other news, thus making it social currency. Hugh Gusterson explains that the relations between humans and digital technology have made news be disseminated objectively. As long as there is little trust in the information, the objective truth becomes of secondary importance. We are also caught in building trust through our networks and hence accept the information that can be disseminated through them. The more sensational the news is, the more it receives social value, thus making fake news thrive.

People also deliberately choose what information to share to influence their opinions. It also leads to us engaging in rumors, which are also a hub for fake news. Some people tend to share fake news with the end goal of swaying people. The sharing of the news comes with a motive that is achieved if the news is widespread. Technology has facilitated the spread of rumors through social media. When using social media, most people would not bother to verify the information but rather share it with their social contacts.

We also have a system that allows the news to behave like an octagon. Fake news is often synonymous with it spreading sporadically. The news is transmitted explosively and thus becomes viral. Social media platforms also affect foregrounding; thus, social contacts can share stories (Shu, et al. 22). Also, it causes a filter bubble as one would access information that is related to them. These platforms do not have time to edit the information being disseminated; thus, fake news thriving.

Fake news can also be influenced by corruption and financial motives. One can hire and even bribe editors from print and electronic media to spread fake news for their benefit. The political class could also peddle fake news to ensure their ideology is spread. Therefore, there must be more regulation of the news spread to avoid uncertainty and unnecessary confusion.

Works Cited

Gusterson, Hugh. "How Rumors Tap Anxieties in the Internet Age." SAPIENS, 4 Jan. 2017, www.sapiens.org/column/conflicted/power-of-rumors/.

Marshall, Nilima. "7 Reasons Why Fake News Goes Viral, According to Experts." Independent, 2 Nov. 2017, www.independent.ie/world-news/and-finally/7-reasons-why-fake-news-goes-viral-according-to-experts-36283450.html.

Shu, Kai, et al. "Fake news detection on social media: A data mining perspective." ACM SIGKDD explorations newsletter 19.1 (2017): 22-36. https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3137597.3137600