News organizations are meant to play a critical role in the dissemination
of quality, accurate information in society. This has become more challenging
with the onslaught of hoaxes, misinformation, and other forms of
inaccurate content that flow constantly over digital platforms.
Journalists today have an imperative—and an opportunity—to sift
through the mass of content being created and shared in order to separate
true from false, and to help the truth to spread.
Unfortunately, as this paper details, that isn’t the current reality of
how news organizations cover unverified claims, online rumors, and viral
content. Lies spread much farther than the truth, and news organizations
play a powerful role in making this happen.
News websites dedicate far more time and resources to propagating
questionable and often false claims than they do working to verify and/or
debunk viral content and online rumors. Rather than acting as a source of accurate information, online media frequently promote misinformation in an attempt to drive traffic and social engagement.