Where Does Fake News Come From ?
By Matthieu Delaloye, Zarina Charlesworth, Shaban Shabani, Camille Pellaton
The word « fake news » no longer holds any secrets for most of us. We have heard a lot about it during the recent American Presidential election or in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. This buzz word refers to false or misleading information disseminated with the aim of manipulating or deceiving the public.
It has taken on increasing importance in the age of the Internet where anyone can be a creator of online content.
The Covid-19 pandemic has seen a good deal of misinformation flourish, linked, among other things, to a lack of knowledge of the virus and the lack of empirical research on the subject. In February 2020, T.A.Ghebreyesus, DG-WHO first spoke of a COVID-19 infodemic (link) sounding the alarm even highlighting the riskof hindering the fight against the virus. More recently, a joint statement on managing the CCOVID-19 infodemic was released by WHO, UN, UNICEF, UNDP, UNESCO, UNAIDS,ITU, UN Global Pulse, and IFRC (https://www.who.int/news/item/23-09-2020-managing-the-covid-19-infodemic-promoting-healthy-behaviours-and-mitigating-the-harm-from-misinformation-and-disinformation ) indicating the proportions that this infodemic has taken on.
There are a number of solutions to combat this infodemic. One of them is to allow trusted professionals to debunk the information. Another solution is to push governments to highlight verified and quality content. It is also important to integrate wary people and create a healthy space for debate around a topic. Finally one can also encourage individuals to check the information before passing it on.
In order to eradicate this behaviour, it is important to go back to the source of dissemination. In this context, Marianna Spring of the BBC, has identified seven typical profiles of Internet users who contribute to the spread of fake news and misinformation.
7 typical profiles
The Joker
A real prankster, the joker likes to make people laugh. He takes advantage of unclear situations to joke around. His behaviour is not ill-intentioned, but rather seeks to entertain by creating game-like content.. He likes to have his content disseminated online and through social mediaand analyses the reactions it provokes. Some call him a troll.
The Professional scammer
For him, fake news is a livelihood. He publishes content to create cyber-scams. He is creativite and can easily trick one even leading the reader to malicious websites.
The Politician
We know how difficult it is to untangle true from false in a political debate… online it is no easier. The politician will deliberately mislead readers to get an idea or a concept across. The information is rarely completely false but often out of context.
The Conspiracy theorist
Conspiracy theories have become increasingly frequent during the Coronavirus pandemic. The conspiracy theorist builds on his theories, all scientifically unproven, with new information as it becomes available. He firmly believes in the truth of what he put forward and shares the information with as many people as possible to alert them.
The Expert
We’re all looking for the ultimate expert who knows a subject from start to finish. But we must also be wary of this, especially the information is in the third person « I know a specialist ». The information if often distorted making it difficult to identify the source. Although it imay be trustworthy, its content is rarely verifiable.Well-intentioned Family & Friends
Family and friends tend create a trusted social circle but be wary of it. Such groups can be full of false and unverified information. The participants do not have mean to spread misinformation but rather want to warn others. The shared content can be very impactful-,
The Star
We have all heard about the super spreaders of the COVID-19 virus Well this is also true of the spread of fake news. Stars, celebrities and influencers with millions of subscribers seek to grow their communities, sometimes spreading fake news and misinformation.
And you, do you see other profiles forfake news and misinformation spreaders?
Want to avoid being caught up in this the Keep your eyes open, be wary, criticize, compare, form an opinion based on several sources and use SAMS!