“Fake news” is probably a term you’ve heard before. In part due to its overwhelming use by former U.S. President Donald Trump during his first year in office, the phrase was even named “word of the year” by Collins Dictionary in 2017.
Inspired by Trump, authoritarian political figures globally have used “fake news” to discredit critical reporting. Perhaps your friends, too, have thrown the term around to question the validity of the sources you read. Some media figures, meanwhile, have used the term literally to refer to what is actually false information or disinformation.
“The term has become so overused that it's lost its punch,” said Jessica Yellin, journalist and founder of News Not Noise.
To effectively contribute to a democratic society, citizens must understand what goes on around them. Factual news is a key component of that understanding. “People's relationship with the news is critical for them to become engaged citizens of their communities and [to] make really informed decisions about how they live in their cities [and] communities,” said DeMario Phipps-Smith, the News Literacy Project’s senior manager of community learning.
Journalists have a key role to play in mitigating the harm caused by disinformation, and the language they use is a critical place to start. The use of the term “fake news” can break down overall trust in journalism, even if the term is being used to call out false or misleading information.
Here’s what journalists should know about using the phrase “fake news,” and how they can fight mis- and disinformation without playing into harmful narratives.
A brief history of “fake news”
An early notable example of intentional disinformation in the U.S. was the New York Sun’s 1835 article “Great Moon Hoax,” which falsely claimed to have found civilizations living on the moon. False reports about protestors during the country’s Civil Rights Movement and the alleged Operation Mockingbird in the 1950s, in which the CIA allegedly recruited journalists to publish positive reports about the government while disparaging Communist ideologies, are further examples of disinformation at play within the past century.
The term “fake news,” meanwhile, first reared its head in the late 19th century. Its current, “internet-friendly” life took shape within the past decade.
In recent years, political figures – most notably Trump, along with Vladimir Putin and members of the Chinese Foreign Ministry – have adopted the term to sow distrust in independent media. Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte similarly baselessly accused journalists of spreading “fake news” when they were in power. These leaders have targeted outlets that have reported critically on them, in particular, leveraging the term to undermine overall trust in the news.
By painting all news as potentially untrue, leaders are able to suppress people’s energy for democratic and civil action. “When you make audiences exhausted and depressed and overwhelmed, they lose the ability to discern what really matters and to feel that they have the agency to make change in the world,” said Yellin.
The benefits of precise language
Using more precise language when discussing the vast amounts of false information circulating in today’s world can help journalists restore trust in the media while fighting disinformation.
Only 0.15% of daily published news consumed by readers is deliberately false or misleading, a 2020 study published in ScienceAdvances found. What readers may be coming across more often is biased or impartial media published by news organizations. By using language like “not rooted in truth,” “misleading information,” “biased information,” or just “mis- or disinformation” when talking about false or misleading information, journalists can convey meaning while avoiding the political baggage that comes with saying “fake news.”
Not all incidents of bias in the news should be viewed in the same light, either. It’s important to distinguish, for instance, between prominent figures using their platforms to purposely twist information and news reporting that might inadvertently reflect a partisan stance.
"There's the problem of false equivalence happening in this conversation, too," Yellen said.
Avoiding misinformation
Journalists should take care not to inadvertently spread misinformation themselves, said Phipps-Smith. Doing so can feed into accusations of “fake news” by those who seek to discredit all responsible journalism.
“Misinformation is the spread of disinformation without the intent. You may not know that you're spreading this, you may not have any ill intent, but you're still spreading things that are inaccurate and misinformation,” he said.
It’s important for journalists to put themselves in their readers’ shoes. While journalists likely understand the issues of their beat inside and out, the same likely isn’t true for their audience. Importantly, don’t make assumptions about what is already known, and avoid relying too much on numbers to drive editorial decisions.
Journalists should also avoid “clickbait” headlines, which can give audiences a false idea of what a story actually says. Studies have shown that most Americans read headlines but do not often read the stories that follow. “Clickbait works because people click on it. Those flashy banners work because it makes people watch, but it doesn't mean that they're appreciating or enjoying the experience, and it could leave them with a negative taste in their mouth. That then erodes their trust overall,” said Yellin.
Journalists won’t always be perfect. When an error is made, own up to it, advised Phipps-Smith. “A lot of that goes back to the standards of quality journalism,” he said. “When you get something wrong, owning that you made a mistake, showing people what the mistake was and addressing it is important to combat accusations of ‘fake news.’”
Mis- and disinformation aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Journalists have the capacity to combat it in a way that creates more responsible news consumers and engaged citizens.
“Having a free press is critical to healthy, vibrant democracy,” said Phipps-Smith. “People's relationship with the news is critical for them to become engaged citizens of their communities and make really informed decisions about how they live.”
Photo by Cojanu Alexandru.
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