What Kinds of Fake News Sites Exist?
There are four broad categories of fake news, according to media professor Melissa Zimdars of Merrimack College.
CATEGORY 1: Fake, false, or regularly misleading websites that are shared on Facebook and social media. Some of these websites may rely on “outrage” by using distorted headlines and decontextualized or dubious information in order to generate likes, shares, and profits.
CATEGORY 2: Websites that may circulate misleading and/or potentially unreliable information
CATEGORY 3: Websites which sometimes use clickbait-y headlines and social media descriptions
CATEGORY 4: Satire/comedy sites, which can offer important critical commentary on politics and society, but have the potential to be shared as actual/literal news
No single topic falls under a single category - for example, false or misleading medical news may be entirely fabricated (Category 1), may intentionally misinterpret facts or misrepresent data (Category 2), may be accurate or partially accurate but use an alarmist title to get your attention (Category 3) or may be a critique on modern medical practice (Category 4.) Some articles fall under more than one category. Assessing the quality of the content is crucial to understanding whether what you are viewing is true or not. It is up to you to do the legwork to make sure your information is good.
"In Episode 16 of the Dewey Decibel podcast, American Libraries looks at the “fake news” phenomenon—its history, how we become susceptible to it, and how we can fight it."
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How is Fake News Created?
- Facebook fake-news writer: I think Donald Trump is in the Whitehouse because of me
Washington Post by Caitlin Dewey November 17, 2016
- How fake news goes viral: A case study
New York Times by Sapna Maheshwari November 20, 2016 - Where Does Fake News Come From?
Center for Information Technology and Society (CITS)
All Tech Considered National Public Radio by Laura Sydell Nov. 23, 2016
Fake News Sites
- The Daily Dot
A compiled list of fake news sites to watch out for.
- List of Fake News Sites
Wikipedia
"Fake news is not news you disagree with -- it is content generated by non-news organizations to drive eyeballs to ads (e.g., clickbait) or to spread false information (rumors, conspiracy theories, junk science, and propaganda, for example)." From a Cornell University Library site