Just 10% of people surveyed understood that the terms ‘Forwarded’ and ‘Forwarded many times’ in WhatsApp meant they were reading potential misinformation.
Tag: Fake news
Pioneering research links the increase of misinformation shared by US politicians to a changing public perception of honesty
Researchers have unravelled for the first time a fundamental shift in the way American politicians communicate on social media, which helps explain the proliferation of compelling misinformation.
Machine learning, blockchain technology could help counter spread of fake news
A proposed machine learning framework and expanded use of blockchain technology could help counter the spread of fake news by allowing content creators to focus on areas where the misinformation is likely to do the most public harm, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.
Fox News settlement will do little to change perceived credibility of coverage, expert says
The most anticipated media trial in recent years ended with a $787.5 million settlement, and while it had the opportunity to set the tone for future defamation litigation, Virginia Tech media expert Megan Duncan says the outcome will have little impact on the perceived credibility of Fox News. “Few people are willing to reassess their perceptions of the credibility of Fox News — whether they side with the news organization or believe it was in the wrong — because politically active people associate partisan news brands with their political identity,” Duncan says.
Media Literacy Week: IU experts available to comment
U.S. National Media Literacy Week, Oct. 24 to 28, brings attention to the importance of being able to access, analyze, evaluate, create and act using all forms of communication. Media literacy empowers people to make informed decisions and be active…
New research shows U.S. Republican politicians increasingly spread news on social media from untrustworthy sources
A study analysing millions of Tweets has revealed that Republican members of the US Congress are increasingly circulating news from dubious sources, compared to their European counterparts.
Aging and fake news: It’s not the story you think it is
A new study has found that older adults are no more likely to fall for fake news than younger adults, with age-related susceptibility to deceptive news evident only among those categorized as the “oldest old.”
New research shows most people are honest — except for a few
About three-quarters of people were consistently honest, telling between zero and two lies per day. By contrast, a small subset of people averaged more than six lies per day and accounted for a sizable proportion of the lies, says researcher Timothy Levine, Ph.D.
A ‘Nudge’ May Not Be Enough to Counter Fake News Online
Can people learn to better identify fake news about COVID-19—and if so, would they be less likely to share that fake story with others? Perhaps, but it may take more than simply priming them to think more critically beforehand.
UAlbany Librarian Offers Insight on America’s Growing Fake News Problem
ALBANY, N.Y. (June 3, 2021) – While most of us believe we can sniff out fake news, a new study has found that as many as three in four Americans are overestimating their ability – and the worse they are…
A New Replication Crisis: Research that is Less Likely to be True is Cited More
Papers in leading psychology, economic and science journals that fail to replicate and therefore are less likely to be true are often the most cited papers in academic research, according to a new study by the University of California San Diego’s Rady School of Management.
American University Experts Available to Comment on Congress Hearing on Fake News & Misinformation on Social Media Platforms
American University Experts Available to Comment on Congress Hearing on Fake News & Misinformation on Social Media Platforms What: Today, the House Communications and Technology Subcommittee and the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee are holding joint hearing on misinformation and…
Education Level, Interest in Alternative Medicine Among Factors Associated with Believing Misinformation
While many people believe misinformation on Facebook and Twitter from time to time, people with lower education or health literacy levels, a tendency to use alternative medicine or a distrust of the health care system are more likely to believe inaccurate medical postings than others, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
“Fake News” Went Viral After the Death of King James I
Alastair Bellany, chair of Rutgers University-New Brunswick’s history department, discusses how the death of one early-modern English king spurred a viral conspiracy theory that, through pamphlets and word of mouth, contributed to the execution of the next king – and whether parallels can be drawn to our own age of QAnon-fueled and politically driven lies about everything from vaccines to election integrity.
The truth, or fake news? How to do the research yourself with deception expert Tim Levine
The world has many different information streams now. Levine shares his strategy for deciphering facts from fiction, no matter the topic.
When a Story is Breaking, AI Can Help Consumers Identify Fake News
Warnings about misinformation are now regularly posted on social media platforms, but not all of these cautions are created equal. New research from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute shows that artificial intelligence can help form accurate news assessments — but only when a news story is first emerging.
Disinformation expert untangles fake news sources in social media
Staying current with reliable news about subjects like election security, pandemic mask effectiveness and vaccine safety is an overwhelming prospect for most people. Few can follow the scientific journals and reputable — though competing — opinions in national news outlets.…
Older Americans, Republicans More Likely to Share Fake News, But Young Voters More Gullible, Study Finds
Rutgers scholar Katherine Ognyanova is available to comment on the latest survey data from The COVID-19 Consortium for Understanding the Public’s Policy Preferences Across States. The researchers examined the tweets of 1.6 million registered U.S. voters to learn who is sharing…
‘Be your own judge’: how to avoid debate misinformation
President Donald Trump will debate former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday evening in Cleveland, Ohio. Chris Wallace of Fox News will moderate the matchup and announced the debate will include discussion of the Supreme Court, COVID-19, economy, race and…
Stemming the Spread of Misinformation on Social Media
New research reported in the journal Psychological Science finds that priming people to think about accuracy could make them more discerning in what they subsequently share on social media.
Claiming Journalism Is ‘Fake News’ May Satisfy a Personal Need for an Orderly World
People who use the term “fake news” to discredit information from largely legitimate news sources may do so partly to satisfy their need to see the world as an orderly and structured place.
“Fake News” Lowers Trust in Mainstream Media across Party Lines, Study Finds
A Rutgers-led study finds that online misinformation, or “fake news,” lowers people’s trust in mainstream media across party lines.
New initiative uses data science to confront the growing peril of disinformation
The Governance Lab (The GovLab) at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering announced a partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that will focus on addressing a topic of growing public concern: disinformation. The new collaboration is part of The 100 Questions Initiative, an effort to identify the most important societal questions for which greater access to data and data science methods could find answers; in our current climate, some of the most pressing questions involve the spread of deceptive or unproven information.
How social media makes it difficult to identify real news
There’s a price to pay when you get your news and political information from the same place you find funny memes and cat pictures, new research suggests.
How people investigate — or don’t — fake news on Twitter and Facebook
UW researchers watched 25 participants scroll through their Facebook or Twitter feeds while, unbeknownst to them, a Google Chrome extension randomly added debunked content on top of some of the real posts.
Separating social media fact from fiction is essential to avoid chaos during COVID-19 crisis
As more people turn to social media and other online sources for updates on the novel coronavirus outbreak, determining which sources are reliable becomes increasingly difficult. Experts Dana Coester and Bob Britten in the West Virginia University Reed College of…
‘Cheap fake’ video making the rounds today likely won’t be the last
A video shared by President Donald Trump that was edited to make it appear presidential candidate Joe Biden was endorsing his re-election during a campaign rally Saturday was deemed manipulated content by Twitter—a first for the social media company. But…
Warnings can alert consumers to ‘fake’ news
Being reminded about the existence of misinformation disguised as legitimate news can boost news readers’ ability to identify articles that are “fake” or false.
New MSU study corrects ‘fake news’ on social media
A Mississippi State University researcher and a recent graduate are publishing their new study on how the dissemination of correct information on social media platforms can shift public perception amid a wave of “fake news.”
Texas State senior lecturer leads fight against fake news
To address a centuries-old problem, a Texas State University School of Journalism and Mass Communication faculty member recommends two tools as a remedy: time and effort.
You create your own false information, study finds
Along with partisan news outlets and political blogs, there’s another surprising source of misinformation on controversial topics – it’s you. A new study found that people given accurate statistics on a controversial issue tended to misremember those numbers to fit commonly held beliefs.
Researchers identify seven types of fake news, aiding better detection
To help people spot fake news, or create technology that can automatically detect misleading content, scholars first need to know exactly what fake news is, according to a team of Penn State researchers. However, they add, that’s not as simple as it sounds.
Society is Rejecting Facts; Medical Researchers Can Help
Anecdotes, fake news and social media have created a skeptical and misinformed public who is rejecting the facts. A commentary says that medical researchers must help the public understand the rigorous process of science and help them to discern an anecdote from peer-reviewed scientific results. The best way to do this? By continuing to ensure integrity, rigor, reproducibility and replication of their science and to earn the public’s trust by being morally responsible and completely free of any influences.
Big Brands Can Handle ‘Fake News’ on Social Media
“Fake news” stories targeting corporations may be obnoxious, but a new study finds that they likely pose little threat to well-established brands.
What is social media’s role in stopping fake news?
The Lee E. Teitelbaum Utah Law Review Symposium at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law on Oct. 18 will bring together leading journalists, scholars, thought leaders and social media executives to investigate problems arising from a changing media world.