Fake News as the Newest Tool of Manipulation and Disinformation

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to characterise the features of fake news as a new means of propaganda, disinformation, and manipulation. The research methodology is based on the interdisciplinary integration of methodological tools of a number of approaches, taking into account the principles of objectivity, systematicity, and reliability. The system method has been used to analyse fake news as a complex-structured communication system; as a socio-communicative phenomenon within social networks – functional; as the newest form of rumor – comparative. In addition, the research methodology is based on general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, generalisation, and systematisation. Scientific novelty consists in improving the scientific conceptualisation of the concept of fake news as a new means of manipulation, disinformation, and propaganda. Conclusions. Fake is false news, invented stories for the purpose of obtaining any benefit (financial, political, or other), the authenticity of which is provided by fabricated media formats: text message, advertisement, photo, video or audio fakes, use of bots, trolls who actively participate in discussions. Types of fakes include outright misinformation, manipulation, propaganda, rumors, memes, alternative facts, "viral" content, pranking, news satire, generators of news, and synthesised media content. Social networks play the biggest role in spreading fake information. Currently, the issues of forming critical thinking skills and information literacy of the population, conducting campaigns to form a strategy against fake news, to prevent the risk of losing trust in democracy and Internet technologies, as well as to resist the manipulation of public opinion, are becoming actualised. Keywords: fake, deepfake, false information, social networks, manipulation, Internet communication.