Fake News: Who Makes It?

1.      With the rise of social media, there has been a need to address the topic of fake news. Misinformation has always been round, but technology has allowed it to spread much more quickly than ever before. An article on the research website CITS delves into the steps many “fake news” creators take to seem legitimate and draw in users. One of the steps mentioned in the article was for these fake outlets to mimic the style of real news sites, the layout and design of fake news websites are purposely designed to look as much like real news sites as possible.” In a photo on CBS News, a fake news website is exposed. It is a dupe of an ABC news website, but it is evident that if someone were to hastily look through the site, ignoring the inaccurate logo, it could be easily be mistaken for a real news source. In an article posted by NPR, a fake news creator was tracked down and shared with journalists his reasons for creating it. The mastermind behind the fake news was a 40-year-old man, with a family, who wanted to prove a point that people will believe anything nowadays. You never know who will create fake news or whether it is intended to bring awareness to the problem or to create chaos. Either way, misinformation is a problem everyone can combat in their daily lives be learning how to spot fake news and fact check.  [1 image, 2 links, 1 quotation, 245words]