Running Head: The Information Apocalypse

The Information Apocalypse

Vincent Kageyama

ASU ENG 102

Professor Kardell
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Social media’s popularity is exploding, almost anywhere, one can observe that people are

on some form of social media or another form of the internet and they are all absorbing

information. According to one report, 62% of US citizens use social media to obtain news and

information (Jang & Kim, 2018). The ease of informational access that social media allows has

made it far easier for “fake news” to spread, it also allows for anyone with access to the internet

to publish their thoughts and opinions. While some may have a general idea of what “fake news”

is there are multiple definitions and limiting factors that must be examined. This paper will

explore the definition of fake news, the causes and the effects of fake news, and its significance

in our world.

While most agree that “fake news” is some form of misleading information with different

intents and limits on what constitutes fake news, there are some that argue that there is no stable

definition and therefore no need to define it. According to authors Pennycook and Rand, the

term “fake news” is a very specific definition involving certain components. They argue that

“fake news” is comprised of falsified claims that are created with the intent of driving

engagement on social media by using partisan political content (Pennycook, & Rand, 2018).

Another take on the definition is that “fake news” is a claim, with no evidence or truth, that is

designed by intention to mislead, confuse, and spread rapidly (Gelfert, 2018). There are those

however who have a drastically different view on the term “fake news.” According to author

Joshua Habgood, the term “fake news” has no place in academia as a result of it having no stable

public meaning and that it is actually a form of political propaganda meant to promote an

ideology (Habgood, 2018).

Some may argue that the causes of “fake news” are purely political and as a result of

social media, however others may argue that there is a lack of journalistic integrity. One
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important clause to add to this discussion is that “fake news” will be viewed as any form of

media that is based around false information or unverified information. One theorized cause of

the rise in fake news is that political parties are taking advantage of social media and using

headline driven media in order to gain more media coverage (Pennycook, & Rand, 2018).

However, another potential cause is just the sheer popularity of social media, where anyone can

put forth information with no evidence or fact checking (Marchi, 2012). While many believe the

growth of the variety of sources are to blame for the increase in “fake news,” some believe it is

due to a decrease in journalistic integrity. Author, Brian Morton discusses how when he actually

researched into a biological taxidermical report and found out that the information had no

evidence and was inconsistent with other reports and had to contact the publisher of the journal

(Morton, 2018). This viewpoint is that there is a decrease in reporting integrity, where there is

less fact checking and less evidence-based writing.

The effects of “fake news” are debatable as some would argue that the issue is in

processing new information and others would argue that it effects our social networks and

communications. These authors argued that initial impressions structure the way we think about

information we receive and that therefore it makes it hard for us to then change our mind about

the information that we think. The study that they performed suggested that it was more difficult

for people to recalibrate their opinion after being told that information that was previously told

was incorrect (De Keersmaecker, & Roets. 2017). Another viewpoint is that it shapes people’s

viewpoints and memories as social networks have a very prominent and powerful effect on the

memory and people’s perspective (Spinney, 2017). Both sides both point to the main issue that

lies in “fake news” and that is the confusion that it causes.

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The significance of the confusion caused by “fake news” varies in importance. For

example, “Individuals may be susceptible to fake news stories that are amenable to their political

ideology” (Pennycook, & Rand, 2018). This would suggest that if “fake news” continues to

proliferate that people will never be truly informed as they would be stuck within their own

political views and this would be harmful to a democracy where everyone must be well

informed. Another significant issue with fake news is that it attracts an enormous amount of

attention and that people believe this information. One video filled with misinformation about

Hilary Clinton generated 567,000 views on Facebook (March, 2018). Through a study done

about the effects of fake news, it was found that 75% of U.S adults had read an article title that

was falsified and believed it was true (Guo & Vargo, 2018). This points to the significant amount

of impact that fake news can have on the public and the problem with misinformation.

“Fake news” is a complicated topic and has a huge real-world impact, it has a morphing

definition that seems fit for a changing world, and its causes and effects are numerous and

varied. While there are varying definitions, all those who think that there is legitimacy behind

the term “fake news,” agree that it is some form misinformation and deceit intended to confuse.

The proliferation of “fake news” seems to stem from the abundance of sources and the inability

for our society to proofread all of them and hold them accountable. The effect and significance

of “fake news” is problematic as it is difficult to change opinions and when there is

misinformation flying in a climate like a presidential election, it harms the democratic process of

the United States.

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References

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Balmas, M. (2014). When Fake News Becomes Real: Combined Exposure to Multiple News
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Carlson, M. (2018). Fake news as an informational moral panic: The symbolic deviancy of social
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De Keersmaecker, & Roets. (2017). ‘Fake news’: Incorrect, but hard to correct. The role of
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Marchi, R. (2012). With Facebook, Blogs, and Fake News, Teens Reject Journalistic
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Spinney, Laura . (2017). How Facebook, fake news and friends are warping your memory.
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