Fake News

News stories that are false. This would include any stories that are purposely fabricated, have no verifiable facts, no verifiable sources, and no verifiable quotes. This may also include news stories that are mostly false.

Fake news is nothing new. It's been around since there's been news to tell.

The rising popularity of social media has made fake news a serious problem, particularly in democratic countries that depend on a well-informed citizenry.

Here are a few of the current issues about fake news:

• People often don't read more than a headline before they 'like' an article or comment or share.
• Fake news outlets use social media because it's so easy to post fake information without being held accountable
• Fake news sites are able to reach a wide audience due to social media sites and the lack of safe-guards protecting the public from outright disinformation. The fake headlines and fake images draw people in. This is otherwise known as clickbait.

Wherever the people are well informed they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to right

- Thomas Jefferson to Richard Price