The Spread of Fake News

The spread of fake news is an issue that can't necessarily be stopped. As long as people are believe what they see and hear on the tv, radio, and social media, fake news will continue to be an issue in the world.

So when did fake news come about? And what are the outlets it is using in order to reach people?

 In this article, "What is fake news? Its origins and how it grew in 2016" , writer James Carson states:

"Bending the truth for political gain is certainly nothing new - it’s propaganda, and the record of its uses stretch back to ancient times. Octavian famously used a campaign of disinformation to aid his victory over Marc Anthony in the final war of the Roman Republic."

Carson also provides examples of fake news used in historical presidential elections and politics.

Even though the spread of fake news started in ancient times, it couldn't go as far as it can today. Fake news can now go worldwide in a matter of seconds because of the resources we have available to us these days. Modern technology allows for us to  spread these false stories throughout the world by using internet, radio, and television.

 In NY Times article, "How Fake News Goes Viral: A Case Study" , writer Sapna Maheshwari states:

"false information can arise from misinformed social media posts by regular people that are seized on and spread through a hyper-partisan blogosphere." 

So now we know how fake news is spread and when it started. Hopefully, we can start to separate the fake from the real and bring the spread of false information down.