Fake news makes up a relatively small portion of Americans’ news consumption, research has shown. Throughout 2016, the vast majority of U.S. Facebook users did not share any fake news articles. In the month leading up to the election, fake news sources only made up roughly 1 percent of the average Twitter user’s political news on the platform.
In 2020, however, even small amounts of fake news about coronavirus can have dire consequences. The current public health crisis requires the coordinated actions of individuals — maintaining social distance, buying reasonable quantities of food and supplies, and following the latest medical advice rather than bogus cures.
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