“Fake News” Is Not Simply False Information: A Concept Explication and Taxonomy of Online Content

Abstract

As the scourge of “fake news” continues to plague our information environment, attention has turned toward devising automated solutions for detecting problematic online content. But, in order to build reliable algorithms for flagging “fake news,” we will need to go beyond broad definitions of the concept and identify distinguishing features that are specific enough for machine learning. With this objective in mind, we conducted an explication of “fake news” that, as a concept, has ballooned to include more than simply false information, with partisans weaponizing it to cast aspersions on the veracity of claims made by those who are politically opposed to them. We identify seven different types of online content under the label of “fake news” (false news, polarized content, satire, misreporting, commentary, persuasive information, and citizen journalism) and contrast them with “real news” by introducing a taxonomy of operational indicators in four domains—message, source, structure, and network—that together can help disambiguate the nature of online news content.

Teens’ Motivations to Spread Fake News on WhatsApp

“…." The following three cases correspond to three types of misinformation, taking into account different taxonomies Molina et al, 2019;Tandoc et al, 2018). Specifically, for Case 2 (Code: CLICKBAIT), a dubious YouTube video that would fall under the definition of "clickbait," with a striking headline: "Obese child beaten and crying," was used to provoke an immediate reaction.…”

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“…However, because individuals can access such a wide variety of sources, they must be able to identify not only trustworthy sources, but also communicative intentions to distinguish, for example, institutional public relations information from critical science journalism, and even from science-related entertainment. Moreover, online, individuals must be especially aware of messages that are deliberately posted to disseminate false information, called disinformation or "fake news" (a term that has also been weaponized in political contexts; Molina et al, 2019). In contrast, misinformation is spread without malevolent intentions (Molina et al, 2019;Scheufele and Krause, 2019), but it is still a threat toward an individual's engagement with scientific claims and evidence.…”

“…Moreover, online, individuals must be especially aware of messages that are deliberately posted to disseminate false information, called disinformation or "fake news" (a term that has also been weaponized in political contexts; Molina et al, 2019). In contrast, misinformation is spread without malevolent intentions (Molina et al, 2019;Scheufele and Krause, 2019), but it is still a threat toward an individual's engagement with scientific claims and evidence. The requirement to effortfully seek out credible information represent the downsides of individuals' ability to be active agents in using and interacting with online digital media platforms (Evans et al, 2016), where they can deliberately choose to engage with certain technologies, media, and content.…”

Memetakan Pesan Hoaks Berita Covid-19 Di Indonesia Lintas Kategori, Sumber, Dan Jenis Disinformasi

“…Dalam konteks tertentu disinformasi merupakan salah satu dari berbagai strategi politik (Balmas, 2014;Corner, 2017;Fensi, 2018;Molina, Sundar, Le, & Lee, 2019). Disinformasi pada awalnya mengacu pada kampanye untuk menyebarkan propadganda politik dengan tujuan tertentu, mengacu pada kerangka kerja informasi yang terorganisir dan dengan hati-hati diarahkan untuk mencapai konsesnsus publik tentang suatu tujuan baik yang tersirat ataupun tersurat.…”