False News Spreads Faster and Wider. And Humans Are to Blame

The truth of the matter is that fake news is easier to report about and it can be more interesting at times. It’s easier to report because anyone can make up any story it doesn’t have to be true. It can also be more interesting because again anyone can make up anything that they think will grab the attention of the audience. The people that read these fake news stories are the one with all the power to make them relevant, which is why we are to blame for the rise in fake news. With Twitter today it is too easy for any person to get on twitter and retweet, like, or share any tweet they find interesting. This can and will include some fake news at times. “False news travels faster, farther, and deeper through the social network than true news,” claims journalist for the New York Times, Steve Lohr. The stories being retweeted and liked hundreds to thousands of times give journalists who create these articles the motivation they need to continue their work in coming up with more and more fake news to circulate the internet. It is important to be more aware of the things we are reading and stay informed on what is true and false so we can share the true, important stories that are happening each and everyday. [1 image, 1 link, 1 quotation, 225 words]