By Ryan C. Cooper

Gonzaga University

Communication & Leadership Studies

Thanks to social media, misinformation can spread at lightning speed. Since the 2016 presidential campaign, the term “fake news” has taken on new cultural and political significance. Ahead of the election, “super-sharers” on social media, who were disproportionately conservative, accounted for 80% of fake news sharing or exposure. Numerous fabricated reports were shared, including that Pope Francis had endorsed Donald Trump for president or that Hillary Clinton had sold weapons to ISIS. In the aftermath of President Trump’s victory, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded with a high degree of confidence that Russian operatives had exploited social media to interfere with the presidential campaign. As a result, some members of the public have wondered whether fake news helped elect the president and to what extent it may have swayed some voters away from Clinton. Researchers have conducted several studies on the phenomenon. On this site, I will analyze research on fake news to link several common threads: the tendency of users to favor information that aligns with their belief system, the role of Facebook’s algorithms in spreading falsehoods, the rise of hyperpartisan websites, and the advantage fake news gave to Trump. Finally, I will explore a dangerous new front in the fight against online falsehoods.

YELLOW JOURNALISM

Towards the end of the 19th Century, rival publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst began sensationalizing stories to sell newspapers, a concept that became known as “yellow journalism.” Some historians believe the practice played a role in influencing public support for U.S. involvement in the Spanish-American War.

Supermarket TABLOID JOURNALISM

By the mid-20th century, tabloid newspapers such as The National Enquirer and later The Star, The Globe, and Weekly World News began selling in supermarket checkout aisles. The latter’s front pages became known for their sensational headlines about alien abductions and obscure conspiracy theories.

SATIRE

In 1975, Saturday Night Live launches “Weekend Update,” a parody newscast that pokes fun of politicians on both sides of the political aisle. Thirteen years later, The Onion, one of the most popular forms of news satire, begins operations. Many fake news stories nowadays are labeled as “satire,” but that does not keep users from believing and sharing.

THE INTERNET: THE WILD WEST OF CONSPIRACIES

Alex Jones founded InfoWars, a far-right website that traffics in conspiracy theories and fake news. For example, he claimed that the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S. were so-called “false flag” operations staged by the U.S. government. InfoWars paved the way for countless other online sites masquerading as “news” that often make up stories for click-bait or to stir up outrage.

RUSSIAN TROLLS AND FAKE NEWS CREATORS

The Mueller Report concluded, “The Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion.” Kremlin-backed trolls created fake “news” stories, memes, and other falsehoods to sow dissent and shape public opinion. Other fake news creators realized they could make money creating made-up news.