False or Fake?

Whether you prefer fake, false, or alternative, you can’t escape reports of deceitful, fraudulent, or inaccurate news.

Fake or False? Does it matter?

It matters! While both fake and false news are extremely problematic, one is more nefarious than the other. In this course, we will use the following definitions for fake and false news:

  • False news: news that contains mistruths, inaccuracies, or is misreported. False news is usually unintentional. Reputable news outlets and journalists will acknowledge false reports and offer retractions and corrections.
  • Fake news: inaccurate reports that are intended to deceive the reader. 

Do not confuse fake news with news satire; satirical news is intended to parody or make fun of real news. Fake news is designed to lead readers to uniformed conclusions and decisions. Some fake news sites even masquerade as legitimate media outlets. Take a look at this screenshot of abcnews.com.co and compare it to abcnews.go.com:

abcnews.com.co abcnews.go.com
abcnews.com.co abcnews.go.com

 

Which do you think is the "real" ABC News? (Hint: click on each image to download a larger, labeled version.)

False news in the history books

Recent events have catapulted the fake news phenomena into the public eye, but don’t be fooled: fake news has always been with us.