{"id":1308,"date":"2020-05-18T13:11:20","date_gmt":"2020-05-18T17:11:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-cu-sites.pantheonsite.io\/library\/?page_id=1308"},"modified":"2025-05-23T11:47:20","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T15:47:20","slug":"misinformation-and-disinformation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.clarkson.edu\/library\/research-tools-collections\/guides\/misinformation-and-disinformation\/","title":{"rendered":"Misinformation and Disinformation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“Right now, there is an incentive to spread fake news. It is profitable to do so, profit made by creating an article that causes enough outrage that advertising money will follow… In order to reduce the spread of fake news, we must deincentivize it financially.” – Amber Case, Research Fellow<\/a>, Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Basics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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So… What is Fake News, Anyway? <\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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Did your mother call you to tell you that liberals hate science<\/a>?  Did your Facebook feed pop up with an article on a new pesticide that\u2019s going to kill us all<\/a>?  Did one of your friends breathlessly tell you that president Donald Trump was going to pardon mass shooter Dylann Roof<\/a>?  You might have heard any or all of these stories, but there\u2019s one thread connecting all of them: they\u2019re not true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ability to tell accurate news from fake news is an important skill that you\u2019ll use for the rest of your life.  This LibGuide will give you valuable insight in telling fact from fiction online, plus a chance to exercise your newfound skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide will explain the differences between \u201cfake news,\u201d satire, bias and opinion, as well as different types of fake news. It will also give you the skills to critically examine news stories, science reporting, and various types of images. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of Fake News<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are four broad categories of fake news, according to media professor Melissa Zimdars of Merrimack College.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CATEGORY 1: Fake, false, or regularly misleading websites that are shared on Facebook and social media. Some of these websites may rely on \u201coutrage\u201d by using distorted headlines and decontextualized or dubious information in order to generate likes, shares, and profits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CATEGORY 2: Websites that may circulate misleading and\/or potentially unreliable information<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CATEGORY 3: Websites which sometimes use clickbait-y headlines and social media descriptions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CATEGORY 4: Satire\/comedy sites, which can offer important critical commentary on politics and society, but have the potential to be shared as actual\/literal news<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No single topic falls under a single category \u2013 for example, false or misleading medical news may be entirely fabricated (Category 1), may intentionally misinterpret facts or misrepresent data (Category 2), may be accurate or partially accurate but use an alarmist title to get your attention (Category 3) or may be a critique on modern medical practice (Category 4.)  Some articles fall under more than one category.  Assessing the quality of the content is crucial to understanding whether what you are viewing is true or not.   It is up to you to do the legwork to make sure your information is good.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What is the Difference Between….<\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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Fake news, bias, opinion and satire can be closely related and can coexist within the same story, but can also be different. It is important to understand and consider all four when evaluating any source of information. <\/p>\n\n\n\n