Why is Fake News So Rampant?

The topic of fake news has been in the headlines for several years now, especially since the election of Donald Trump. Mainstream media establishments realized that they were no longer the gatekeepers of “official” and newsworthy information. It had become much more democratized.

This democratization was both good and bad. On the one hand, it meant that anyone with a couple of brain cells to rub together could publish a news story about something in their local community or international affairs, based on their understanding of the evidence. But on the other, it meant that there were no longer any editorial checks and balances and people could publish just about anything they wanted.

Before long, the purveyors of fake news realized something: they could make a lot of money from it. A man from LA admitted to making more than $30,000 per month from advertising through his fake news website.

In America, there’s a strong tradition of a free press. Most people agree that the media should be able to report on anything it likes and that, in principle, anybody can become a journalist. It’s up to the intellect and critical faculties of the American people to determine whether a news source is valid or not.

The problem, as the following infographic makes clear, is that people are, in general, unable to discern whether a news source is fake or not. Only 39 percent of people are “very confident” that they can detect fake news, and more than 23 percent share fake news stories with their peers.