Fake news is information based on untrue facts or "no information at all" that may mislead readers into believing and/or possibly spreading the news further (Burkhardt, 2017, p. 8). Fake news has attracted media attention since the U.S. 2016 election, but as a matter of fact, it has been around ever since rumors and false stories have existed (Burkhardt, 2017; Washington State University, 2017). According to Burkhardt, some reasons behind creating fake news include entertainment, advertisement revenue, and spreading a biased opinion.
Image Source: "The fin de siècle newspaper proprietor" by Frederick Burr Opper is licensed under CC0 1.0 / Cropped from original
*NEW!* Fake News (Translated in Punjabi)
Burkhardt, J. M. (2017). Combating fake news in the digital age. Library Technology Reports, 53(8), 5-33. Retrieved from http://auth01.norquest.ca/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=126274669&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Washington State University. (2017). Evaluating news: "Fake news" and beyond. Retrieved from http://libguides.libraries.wsu.edu/fakenews