Question

POLITICS. To what extent, and in what ways, has the proliferation of fake news on social media and other online outlets undermined the ability of the U.S. political system to function effectively? What steps can be taken to prevent these problems from continuing to occur in the future?

Answer 1

Many information systems have become more polarized and controversial, driven by international actors, citizen journalism, and the proliferation of talk radio and cable news, and there has been a sharp decrease in government confidence in traditional journalism. In democratic systems, fake news and advanced disinformation campaigns are particularly difficult, and there is increasing discussion about how to tackle these problems without undermining the advantages of digital media. It is essential that government, company, and customers work together to address these issues in order to preserve an open, democratic system. The spread of disinformation and misinformation is made possible largely through social networks and social messaging, which begs the question of the extent of regulation and self-regulation of companies providing these services

Governments should encourage news literacy in their communities as well as powerful professional journalism. In order to create public trust and correct false news and disinformation without legitimizing them, the news industry must provide high-quality journalism. Technology firms should invest in instruments that identify fake news, decrease economic incentives for those benefiting from disinformation, and enhance internet accountability. Informing individuals about news literacy should be a high priority for educational organizations. Lastly, people should follow a variety of news sources and be skeptical about what they are reading and watching.

Misinformation can be very difficult to correct and may have lasting effects even after it is discredited. One reason for this persistence is the manner in which people make causal inferences based on available information about a given event or outcome. As a result, false information may continue to influence beliefs and attitudes even after being debunked if it is not replaced by an alternate causal explanation