How to deal with FAKE NEWS in 2020

Humans around the world are most interconnected today than at any time in history. Internet and Social Media get credit for this. But this rising integration of social media in our everyday lives serves us the equal number of banes as the boons. One such bane we are witnessing in recent years is the rise of Fake News. This article is about how fake news is created and how can we deal with it.

This whole process can be defined in 3 broad categories. They are Creation — Publication — Propagation.

CREATION:

This brings us to the first question, why are these fake news generating and who is doing this? The new digital age not only provided communication and entertainment but have also provided new means of doing business. TVs are getting replaced by Online Streaming, Shopping Malls by Online Stores and Billboard Advertisements by the Social Media. We might not see this coming, but why would someone make a social network free for everyone? We are being sold, our attention to content is being sold. Now, in order to grab that attention, you need content. Very rich, new and appealing content. But we don’t usually find that so often, right? Then why not create your own? This is where the Fake News originates. In order to get an increase in likes and visibility — the content curators often spread fake news. This is the origin. These content creators can be categorized under different domains. Some are online media houses wanting to increase their following, some are brands who want to get their competitors down and push themselves up or the political parties with the desire to set an agenda to influence people. These are the major sources which are responsible for the generation of Fake News.

PUBLICATION:

Once the creation phase is over, the publishing phase begins. They share these posts of Fake News on various channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter and whatnot. But posting organically and letting people scroll is not enough. Most of the are sensible enough to check for the authenticity (not all only most of us). To reach to that section who can make them go viral they switch to the hack. Social Media works on the idea of making revenue from ads. Let it be Google, Youtube or Facebook, the major source of their revenue is advertising the platform. In order to make full use of the infinite Ad Space on the Internet, these platforms allow everyone to put on ads. Starting from Rs. 20 and without having an upper limit, anyone can post ads according to their capability. Fake News curators take advantage and with a little money they then reach out to the mass. Ads are just one aspect of Publication. Next comes the personal messaging via Whatsapp. New emerging apps has made it free and easy to broadcast a significant number of messages which would have costed a fortune a decade ago. Personal messages have an extra appeal to them over social media. We as humans are made to trust and live in groups biologically. Hence we believe in what our known mates share or at least have a look and try to understand. The stage is now set for the news to propagate and enjoy the chaos it will create.

PROPAGATION:

Once the news is shared/posted/texted comes the promoters of the ideology. These are the people how strongly supports the agenda or the ideology of the entity responsible for creating the Fake News. They may a part of the organisation or just an individual who is a strong supporter. The common people having an account on the social media helps by sharing, liking and spreading the Fake News. The more these promoters are, the more authentic news it gets. A common unbiased individual often get mislead by the number of other people backing the news. The authentic-looking accounts make it more difficult to object the factual information of the Fake News. From the fear of missing out on social life they simply get persuaded by the false fact being shared on social media. Not just getting persuaded, many people find it fascinating to read content which is appealing. Divorce of the famous celebrity couple they love, corruption charges on the former president, riots happening in the nearby state or just the gossip of the film industry. Who can skip such intriguing content after a tiring day at the office? And why would someone stop themselves from sharing something they find interesting with their friends? After all, we all love to get attention. Here the common people get into the trap of Reading-Sharing-Forgetting. These posts circulate for a long period of time where the actual date and time of origin often get neglected. This the phase which lasts about 99% in the three-phase cycle of the Fake News. It may even last up to years. The given Fake News examples are just a glimpse of the whole system of fake news stories.

We might forget the exact fake news but the impact it made in our subconscious mind is never removed. The next time we see something related to that topic, we react in a pre-judgemental way. We already make perception and we believe only the facts which align with our knowledge predecided by the Fake News.

We had a case about a couple of years ago where a news channel of India — Zee News tampered the audio of the students of JNU, Delhi with slogans against the country. This created a rage against people of the country and other news channels, in fear of getting behind, started to spread this as well. After a few days, it was examined and identified that the news being spread was fake. This brings us to the next definition of Fake News. Fake News is not always the news falsely created. Over exaggerating the facts, misinterpreting them, sharing the old news as a new one, tampering with the original news are all considered as Fake News.

Mob lynching, intolerance, unnecessary hatred are all outcomes of being exposed to the propaganda created by the Fake News. We might think that we do not get influenced but somewhere in our minds we do remember the news and form our opinion around them. Here comes the need to identify Fake News and avoid being carried away by it. Here are a few ways by which you can avoid being a channel to spread the Fake News.

1. Check the source: Look for the page, media house or the website sharing this news. Channels like CNN, ABC or BBC won’t be sharing fake news because of the trust and brand they have. Try looking for the new and smaller ones. Many fake copies of established channels are also being created. Do look for the official handles, verified mark and the logo of that authentic. Do not just avoid if to find the news to be unreliable, Report it. Report it so that the social media platforms know that the particular news is just a case of Fake News.
2. Read Beyond: Attention-grabbing is the main aim of content curators. Headlines are what helps them to achieve. Don’t just get convinced by the headline itself, try reading the whole article and then make a decision. Headlines can be very misleading and might pull you into the trap.
3. Cross-Check: Don’t forget to look for other sources for the same information. In the case of significant news, every media publication should be sharing it. If not, then this is a sign of a Fake News. Don’t just rely on one source, do your work and if a good number of sources report the same, then do believe.
4. Don’t forward everything: Your social connection on WhatsApp are no intellectuals or journalists. Everything they send you is not believable and authentic. They just need to continue the conversation and share interesting stuff. Don’t just blindly believe just because you know the person. The person himself might not be sure about the message he’s sharing. The chain could be longer than you can imagine. Moreover, WhatsApp now offers an indication for forwarded messages. You can yourself figure out as a responsible citizen if the message is personally curated or just forwarded to get attention.
5. Check the date: The news you are looking at might not be fake. But there are cases where old news is being circulated to create a hoax. Consider the news of recession which is 2–3 years old. This could create a great level of discomfort among the mass which could actually lead to recession.
6. Don’t Panic: Before you come to any conclusion, please follow the above steps. In case you find and of it misleading, do report. Even if the news is true, there’s no need to panic or spread the word, everyone will eventually know it.

Connectivity is the greatest boon for us. Try to use it responsibly and not be a part of the Fake News. Follow the steps and try to save yourself from being a mere victim.