Abstract
The authors discuss a new conceptual model to examine the phenomenon of fake news. Their model focuses on the relationship between the creator and the consumer of fake news and proposes a mechanism by which to determine how likely users may be to share fake news with others. In particular, it is hypothesized that information users would likely be influenced by seven factors in choosing to share fake news or to verify information, including the user’s: (1) level of online trust; (2) level of self-disclosure online; (3) amount of social comparison; (4) level of FoMO anxiety; (5) level of social media fatigue; (6) concept of self and role identity; and (7) level of education attainment. The implications reach into many well-established avenues of inquiry in education, Library and Information Science (LIS), sociology, and other disciplines, including communities of practice, information acquiring and sharing, social positioning, social capital theory, self-determination, rational choice (e.g., satisficing and information overload), critical thinking, and information literacy. Understanding the multiple root causes of creating and sharing fake news will help to alleviate its spread. Relying too heavily on but one factor to combat fake news—education level, for example—may have limited impact on mitigating its effects. Establishing thresholds for a certain combination of factors may better predict the tendency of users to share fake news. The authors also speculate on the role information literacy education programs can play in light of a more complex understanding of how fake news operates.
Highlights
Despite the recent attention given to fake news by researchers in numerous academic disciplines such as computer science, library and information science, psychology, and sociology, as well as its identification as a growing problem in mass communications, politics, education, and society at large, engagement with fake news continues to proliferate [1,2,3]
The authors believe their model for fake news could be employed to help better predict conditions that may lead to the sharing of fake news
As it is rooted in long-established theories from multiple disciplines, including education, sociology and Library and Information Science (LIS) research in information behavior and information literacy, the authors believe that the model could be effective in predicting the spread of fake news
Summary
Despite the recent attention given to fake news by researchers in numerous academic disciplines such as computer science, library and information science, psychology, and sociology, as well as its identification as a growing problem in mass communications, politics, education, and society at large, engagement with fake news continues to proliferate [1,2,3]. Attempting to reconcile these widely differing visions of and motivations behind fake news has compelled the authors to develop a more comprehensive definition To accommodate this complexity and the multiple variables surrounding the use of, spread, and motivations behind fake news, Weiss et al propose that fake news should be defined as “the phenomenon of information exchange between an actor and acted upon that primarily attempts to invalidate generally accepted conceptions of truth for the purpose of altering established power structures” [9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
