2016 was the year of the fake news claims. Fake comments, fake stories, fake media. Which as social media would have it, spilled over into 2017.
Social Media was in a tailspin as celebrities tweeted about it from the safety of their online profiles. Popular news sites reported on and defied claims they were responsible for them. And one golden haired personality, now US President, stole the lime light with a barrage of Tweet accusations.
One of the first times we heard of the term was during the 2016 elections, when a renewed FBI investigation of Hilary Clinton’s email scandal was raised. Trump announced a conspiracy theory that Tech giants Facebook, Twitter and Google were trying to ‘bury’ information on her:
“Wow, Twitter, Google and Facebook are burying the FBI criminal investigation of Clinton,” Trump tweeted. “Very dishonest media!”
And more recently in comments directed towards the Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto:
“Dishonest media says Mexico won’t be paying for the wall if they pay a little later so the wall can be built more quickly. Media is fake!”
And this week, in response to Meryl Steeps Golden Globe speech:
“Hillary flunky who lost big. For the 100th time, I never “mocked” a disabled reporter (would never do that) but simply showed him…….
“groveling” when he totally changed a 16 year old story that he had written in order to make me look bad. Just more very dishonest media!’”
Or in direct response to the Russian-Trump relationship, denying Russia had anything to do with hacking the election:
“Fake News, a total political witch hunt”
Trump supporters defended his comments while Democrat defendants used the topic to enrage another online war.
It’s a dramatic story that seems to keep on growing and dominate the media.
FakeNews, the Power of a Hashtag
questioning the motives of sensationalism or conspiracy theories to sell copies or receive online retweets, we want to look at the thing that is driving the conversation. The Hashtag.
If you are not familiar with Twitter (maybe you’ve been hiding under a rock or still don’t prescribe to TV) then you wouldn’t know that Twitter developed the phenomena of the Hashtag. The hashtag was designed to help you categorise your comments by using keywords. Not only would this file your own comments it would also help you to find other comments more easily. Therefore, helping you to connect to others and join in on conversations too.
But it doesn’t end there. Twitter’s easy to use ‘moments’ tab at the top of your screen, can provide at any given moment a snapshot of all the events trending around the world, so you can join a conversation or catch up on the thing that’s receiving the most views or comments.
For example, if you search for the popular hashtag #FakeNews you might see a minimum of 600 results a day (each one, potentially perpetuated by Trump’s Tweets which use the hashtag in place of a full-stop). Here you’ll find everyone has an opinion. From students to politicians, actors to teacher’s, comments are made in anger or humour, with an aim to entertain, educate or express a view.
A hashtag is no longer specific to Twitter. Google #FakeNews and you’ll find it in articles. Type it into Facebook and see a slew of posts dedicated to the topic. News sites, Bloggers, BuzzFeed and more continue the story. There are even Fake News websites pushing fabricated news to misinform readers.
You see, the hashtag has grown wings with the ability to fly. What began on a social platform has now travelled across mediums growing in untold popularity. Reporters deliver television news updates from Twitter information and take their ‘first hand’ news from comments of Twitter profiles they follow, responding at the scene of an event.
Could this be the reason the #FakeNews story has received so much attention? Are we confusing our media sources with reality or are they one in the same? Whether the stories being released, are true or not, it seems the threat of fake news could be doing it’s damage with people becoming more cynical and sceptical of our usual sources.
In this age of free information, it seems it’s even more important to seek out the truth. Whatever that may be.
Enjoyed learning about the power of a hashtag? Check our last blog This is a Viral Tribute to learning the power of viral posts!
