The recent phenomenon of 'fake news' is a great example of the crossover between globalisation and the news industry. It has been linked with a range of political events across the world - from Brexit here in the UK to Trump's election in the USA. Many European countries are now worried fake news will influence future elections and interfere with democracy.
The Guardian & the global problem of fake news
Read this Guardian feature - Fake news: an insidious trend that's fast becoming a global problem
1) What similarities do you notice between the different countries outlined in the article and their problems with fake news?
2) Is fake news an inevitable consequence of the "culture of freedom and innovation" that the internet has brought with it? Is there a way to stop it?
New York Times and the creation of fake news
Read this New York Times feature - Inside a Fake News Sausage Factory: ‘This Is All About Income’
1) Which fake news stories were particularly successful for Beqa Latsabidze, the 22-year-old student in Tbilisi, Georgia, who tried to make money from web articles on Trump?
Beqa Latsabidze realized what drove traffic: laudatory stories about Donald J. Trump that mixed real — and completely fake — news in a stew of anti-Clinton fervor. To gin up material, Mr. Latsabidze often simply cut and pasted, sometimes massaging headlines but mostly just copying material from elsewhere.
2) How much can Facebook and Google be blamed for this global rise in fake news?
It appears that these internet giants should not be held responsible. Facebook and Google have engaged in soul searching over their roles in disseminating false news. Google announced that it would ban websites that host fake news from using its online advertising service, while Facebook’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, outlined some of the options his company was considering, including simpler ways for users to flag suspicious content. This makes it seem like these sites are doing the most they can to avoid fake news being accessible on their platforms.
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