Fake News and

Real Solutions
Let’s define “fake news”
A study by Stanford University found an overwhelming majority
of students were not able to tell the difference between
so-called fake news and real news.
 Why is this important?
• The ability to tell accurate news from fake
news is an important skill you'll use for the
rest of your life
• 75% of American adults who viewed a fake
news headline viewed the story as accurate
• Fake news stories are widely shared on social
media
• Believing fake news stories can have real-life
consequences
Real Photograph… Fake Story
 Fake News… Real Consequences
In 2011, congresswoman,
Gabrielle Giffords was
mistakenly reported dead
after a shooting in Tucson,
Arizona. The news spread
to other news stations and
online, with people sharing and re-sharing this
devastating news before checking facts. A national
apology had to be made about the false death
report, which had been repeated by well known
news stations, including CNN, Fox News, The New
York Times, and National Public Radio.
 Why Does Fake News Exist?
• Sometimes these stories may be propaganda
that is intentionally designed to mislead the
reader, or may be designed as “clickbait”
written for economic incentives (the writer
profits on the number of people who click on
the story). In recent years, fake news stories
have thrived via social media, in part because
they are so easily and quickly shared online.