Major US newspapers also fall into the trap of fake news sites.
According to the American press magazine CJR, many major American news agencies and websites such as Bloomberg Politics and Washington Post have also fallen into the trap of fake news sites because these sites have many sophisticated tricks.
CJR reported that in early 2015, Bloomberg Politics published a story based on fabricated news that former First Lady Nancy Reagan endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. In 2013, the Washington Post was also fooled by the fake Daily Current with a story that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin worked for Al-Jazeera. The Los Angeles Times also had a similar problem with a story that the United Nations was preparing to legalize marijuana.
Why are fake news sites still able to fool journalists? According to CJR, these sites often have quite credible-sounding names such as National Report, World News Daily Report, Empire News. In addition, they also copy the logos or web addresses of real news sites, such as abcnews.com.co. Not only that, they also trick the mix of real and fake news to easily fool reporters. In addition, most fake news sites cite many fabricated sources to appear more trustworthy.
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Another important reason lies in the mainstream news sites themselves. The pressure of traffic and speed of reporting makes it easier for mistakes to happen. CJR assessed that another reason for the rampant fake news is the mainstream news agencies themselves. To attract visitors and create an effect on social networks, some newsrooms have prioritized posting sensational, curious news or "fake news" or "tabloid" news. Thanks to that, fake news sites have a "place to live" and become more and more sophisticated.
So how does fake news spread? CJR cited an example from early May, when several fake sites reported that basketball legend Michael Jordan, now owner of the Charlotte Hornets, threatened to pull his team from the NBA All-Star Game in North Carolina if the state didn’t repeal a law that banned transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice.
Among the sites that reported the news was a fake ABC News website and logo. The story then spread to a number of other real US news sites, including Metro US, Elite Daily, and Dallas Voice. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel even used it in an editorial opposing the North Carolina law.
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Facebook now allows users to report fake news stories, so they appear less frequently or receive a warning on their News Feed. But unless the core issue of journalism culture changes, hoaxes will continue to infiltrate the mainstream.
Craig Silverman, editor of BuzzFeed (Canada), a pioneer in the fight against fake news, said: "Fake news sites get a lot of criticism, but they are large-scale and attract a significant number of social media users to share their information. News organizations must recognize the important role of news selection in a world of huge, ambiguous and questionable information."
First, news sites need to have better processes for detecting fake news. CJR provided an example of sloppy reporting. Less than a month before the Michael Jordan hoax, the fake ABC News story falsely claimed that the NBA had decided not to hold the All-Star Game in North Carolina because of the state’s transgender bathroom laws.
Cleveland.com, the online version of The Plain Deale, quickly reported the story without verifying the source, even by phone or seeking other sources. Cleveland.com's vice president of content later admitted: "If we had done the basic steps, we would have quickly discovered we were dealing with an ABC impersonation site."
The content is made through reference to sources from Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), a magazine for professional journalists founded in 1961. CJR often reports on media trends, media analysis, and journalism ethics.
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