In the political maelstrom of a US election, fake news tapped its richest seam yet.
The epidemic of malicious fake news and false propaganda...
Disinformation, fake news…
This is something that has constantly been disproved…
This isn't true...this isn't right…
Clinton branded a paedophile and the Pope endorsing Trump…
They were made up stories shared millions of times.
But from Washington to Westminster,politicians are spooked.
Maybe England rugby players too:
There are quite a lot of fake news stories operating on facebook that a.
I've died
Random Reality-bending or downright Democracy- threatening.
There's no getting away from it:
I am not gonna give you a question, you are fake news.
Fake News... is Big News.
...this is a lie.
So what do we mean when we say 'fake news'?
Deliberately false stories manufactured to fool you?
Well, we can all agree on that one.
But what about all those satirical spoof news websites?
Or real event news reports which clearly pander to an agenda?
Is that fake news too?
From a few drinking dens in Bristol - we invited some definitions…
What do you understand by the phrase fake news?
Propaganda.
Media spin as well.
It might have some truth to it but like maybe a word of truth, but not the whole truth.
When I say fake news what comes to mind?
Today, Clickbait.
Clickbait?
Clickbait.
Dodgy news stories - print and broadcast - aren't exactly new.
It's just their breeding ground has got a whole load bigger.
People on their way to work filled up there travelling time in the good old way by reading
all about it.
The old order of news looks increasingly quaint in an age of social media..
For young people now their main source of news.
I'll be like Lad Bible, click it, and that would be like..it's really bad but it's..
Is that news?
But in the vast world of news, how easy is it to spot a fake?
In a Yougov Survey for Channel 4, 1600 people were shown 6 headlines - 3 true, 3 fake.
Just 4% correctly identified all 3 true stories and all 3 fake stories.
Half thought at least one of the fake stories they were shown was true.
...What is Scotland’s largest island?
We tried out some of the headlines in Bristol...pub quizzers first.
'Trump offering free one way tickets to Africa and Mexico for those wanting to leave America'?
Yeah probably true.
He probably would do that.
Yeah probably.
That’s very “Trumpy” isn’t it?
'Iceland to host NYE party for asylum seekers'?
I think that's fake news.
I think it’s fake news.
I think it's true.
I'm going to say true.
I’m gonna say true as well.
Half of those surveyed (49%) said they were worried about the effects of fake news.
And that number was even higher among the under 25s.
Are you worried by fake news?
No not at all.
Why not?
Because people have a duty to research their own information.
I think it's very pernicious actually.
And it's fake and it's not doing the media any good whatsoever, because it just makes
me even more suspicious.
If you suspect a news story is fake, you can report it...
Facebook and Google are now looking at new ways to filter out or flag up fake news.
But asked if Facebook and other social media sites like Twitter are doing enough to tackle
fake news, two thirds of those surveyed said they aren't.
A majority also wanted the government to do more.
Most of our interviewees in Bristol favoured more independent fact-checking.
I don't know if there's a role for the government but I think there could be some outside body
that could perhaps sort of put their stamp of approval.
If on facebook you could just say flag it, I dont think its real, and somebody could
look into it, it's another way of catching all this news before it's getting to everyone.
I don't see how anybody can police it.
If you're going to police it then you're going to have to police free speech and how do you
police freedom of speech?
So what do you do about it then?
Educate people.
You've just got to learn to be more sensible when listening to gossip.
Sound advice indeed.
But in this so-called “post Truth world” the task of sifting gospel from gossip isn't
always quite as black and white as we'd like.