The social media giant Facebook is quite defensive after they allegedly helped in the circulation of unverified and hoax news, especially around the US presidential election period. Mark Zuckerberg unwaveringly denied these rumors, but eventually acknowledged the need for a more thorough screening of false information that can be passed on as news.
In this light, a pressing need to focus on the veracity of the news traffic circulating around Facebook deemed critical. In an article on the Washington Post, the tech industry, its power and the potential damage it may cause is seen as agents that play into unethical encroaching among industries. In this case, not only Facebook is on the hot seat, but also other social platforms like Twitter.
CNN's Judith Donath wrote an article with a theory on why fake news is thriving online. Partisanship was mentioned, which it explains the logic behind the fake news being propagated through social platforms that become viral in a matter of hours. Unlike in print and broadcast media where fact-checking is a must, news that circulate in social platforms and the role of news in these channels rely heavily on it being an aspect of identity, representation of belief systems and endorsing affiliations.
In this regard, the validity of news shared on people's feeds cannot be effectively screened for malicious, slanderous and false contents. However, through the speed of technology and the way people are now attuned to online resources, fake news spreads like wildfire and influence people to certain extents.
In addition, as social networks and online communication in general now has great stress on publicized posts of opinions and viewpoints, people have been more empowered to choose what to believe in regardless of the source, the delivery, and the exaggeration. This leads to the idea that global connectivity and the advent of the information age are both the biggest advantage and loophole of strengthened social platforms.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
