Authenticity of Social Media Posts: Dissemination of Truth Versus Fake News in Social Networks

Abstract

Objective The purpose of this paper is to illustrate that the current efforts to combat the epidemic of fake news – compiling lists of fake news sites, flagging stories as having been disputed as “fake,” downloading plug-ins to detect fake news – show a fundamental misunderstanding of the issue. Research Methodology This paper explores the plummeting believability ratings in conventional news outlets, as well as current efforts to combat fake news. These concepts are situated in the post-truth era, in which news is upsold on the notion of belief and opinion. Findings This paper finds that, in combination with a general mistrust of all news, a fundamental flaw in the system of clicks-as-reward allows fake news and other clickbait (on the Internet - content whose main purpose is to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a particular web page) to gain unobstructed virality. Originality/Value Fake news is a widely discussed topic right now. As this is primarily an issue of truth violence and information literacy, library and information professionals need to understand, discuss, and address this issue as one that is directly related to the profession.