Fake News

What does Fake News mean?

A phony news outlet posing as legitimate

Fake news is a term used to describe news stories that are made up but pretend to be true. This term applies to all sorts of made-up stories on various topics, designed to look like real news and attract attention on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Although made-up news stories, such as those from satirical sources like The Daily Show, have been around for a long time, they gained significant attention during the 2016 Presidential elections. During this time, a large number of fake stories were circulated to mislead people into believing in conspiracy theories and other unfounded claims.

Many attribute the rise of fake news to the decline of traditional newspapers and journalism, and the increasing tendency of social media users to share stories without verifying their authenticity. This lack of fact-checking has allowed fake news to proliferate and influence public opinion.

Example for using ‘Fake News’ in a conversation

Hey, did you see that article about aliens landing in Central Park?

Nah, that’s just fake news. Always check your sources before you believe anything.

Yeah, you’re right. It’s just so hard to tell these days with all the fake news floating around.

True, always double check. Sometimes these stories are just clickbait to get more traffic.