Misinformation in Digital Media
Misinformation in digital publishing is a subset of misinformation, which is false or misleading information. Instances of misinformation have been recorded throughout history, dating back as far as written records exist. The advancement of technology in modern times resulted in digital publishing becoming the primary source of information for most people. At the same time, it created an avenue for misinformation to spread quickly and to more people. People generally gravitate towards media that aligns with their inherent biases, which renders them more prone to the misinformation coming from those sources. Social media, which possesses lax requirements for posts, played a critical role in the spread of such misinformation. Misinformation has the ability to affect all aspects of life, from health to politics. The resulting decline of the overall accuracy of information produces negative implications. Countering misinformation appears as a complicated topic since the media platforms must find common ground between upholding free speech and preventing misinformation. Users, on the other hand, have much greater power when it comes to making conscious choices regarding the information they consume. In recent years, the topic of misinformation has become a source of debates due to the complicated relationship between its influence and regulation.
History
Early examples of misinformation date back to 15th century Europe, where political rivals attempt to smear each other's reputation through writings. The first recorded instance of large-scale misinformation was the Great Moon Hoax, a series of six articles describing life on the Moon that The Sun published in 1835. The advancement of technology, specifically the invention of the Internet, significantly changed the manner in which misinformation spreads. The broad influence of digital publications causes potential misinformation to spread rapidly. During the 2016 United States presidential election, content from "untrustworthy" websites reached up to 40% of Americans; what rendered this statistic especially concerning for experts was that misinformation only made up 6% of overall news media. During the COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation spread about the virus and the preventative measures contributed to the difficulty in containing rising cases. While misinformation can be intentional or intentional, a general lack of literacy in identifying it causes people to become susceptible to it. Studies have shown that people are becoming more proficient at discerning misinformation. A Gallup poll released in 2016 reported that only 32% of Americans trust the mass media "to report the news fully, accurately and fairly".
Cognitive Biases
In the past, the news media industry offered consumers a limited, but consistent choice of news offerings. In contrast, consumers today have access to an abundance of news offerings targeting different groups of people. As a result, consumers often choose news sources that conform with their inherent biases. This trend dramatically increases the likelihood that consumers receive misinformed information. Instead of using traditional online news sources, 47% of Americans began using social media as their main news source in 2017. Since social media has less requirements for posts than traditional news sources, it is thus also more likely to dispense misinformation to its consumers. Companies such as Google and Yahoo developed algorithms to personalize consumers' news feeds based on their interest and beliefs. Thus, two people concurrently searching for the same thing will receive unique results. Such customization of news feeds builds upon the notion of consumers actively selecting news sources matching their biases by simplifying the process, thus rendering them more susceptible to specific types misinformation. The creation of misinformation, whether intentional or unintentional, also stems from the biases of the authors.
Ethical Concerns
Countering Misinformation
News media companies typically work around the clock to broadcast the latest news stories in order to gain a larger audience share. The volume and speed at which news publishings are created does not support comprehensive fact-checking. One proposed method of countering misinformation in digital publishing is through validation by the consumers themselves, where they can report content that is false or misleading; the content will then be corrected or removed. Another similar method is to implement a point-based system, where users can upvote credible news sources while downvoting inaccurate ones. An example of this mechanism is Reddit, where members of news-based subreddits such as r/worldnews can upvote or downvote posts. The corresponding points associated with each post was found to be indicative of its completeness and accuracy. Additionally, members can check the posters' post history and karma to determine whether they are credible. While these methods of countering misinformation have the potential to be effective, they can still produce false positives or false negatives based on the biases of the user demographic. Websites such as FactCheck.org have been created to objectively check news for misinformation. Despite the development of such preventative methods, experts conclude that the most effective way remains as thoroughly educating the society about identifying and avoiding misinformation.
