When scientists first thought to deceive predators with bird smells, the idea seemed crazy. But after seeing how fake news messes with the minds of both humans and animals, it now makes sense.
Search engines often serve up a distorting blend of information and misinformation.
Crispin la valiente/Moment via Getty Images
Search engines, like social media algorithms, get you to click on links by learning what other people click on. Enticing misinformation often comes out on top.
The great bell in the iconic clock tower of London’s Palace of Westminster was cast in London.
Victoria Jones /WPA Pool/Getty Images
Trump might have popularised the idea of fake news, but 26 centuries ago Plato and Thucydides were convinced intellectuals and poets were duping the people and undermining democracy.
Google, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter have all agreed to a voluntary code of conduct targeting misinformation. But the only real commitment is to appear as though they’re taking action.
Dickens worried for the safety of his sons when diphtheria broke out in France and - in a newly discovered letter - wrote about how the truth was difficult to find.
Calling out false information on social media may do more harm than good.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters after participating in a video teleconference call with members of the military on Nov. 26, 2020, at the White House in Washington. He reiterated his baseless claims during the news conference that the Nov. 3 election was ‘rigged.’
(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
If citizens disbelieve the institutions that count ballots and the organizations that accurately report on those results, it will be impossible to agree on what a legitimate election looks like.
Our new study presents the first empirical evidence that President Trump’s tweets systematically divert attention away from topics that are potentially harmful to him.
T.J. Thomson, Queensland University of Technology; Daniel Angus, Queensland University of Technology, and Paula Dootson, Queensland University of Technology
In an age of democracy via social media, platforms are struggling to combat visual mis/disinformation such as ‘spliced’ images and deepfakes. Digital media literacy has never been so important.
In the age of fake news and deep fake videos, how can documentary making be used for research and other purposes that demand authenticity and credibility?
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Southeast Asian governments not only have to deal with the virus but also with the false information surrounding it.
No news isn’t necessarily good news. News is powerful, and helps us to stay connected and informed. But it’s important we regulate our news consumption - particularly during times of crisis.