The instantaneous nature of today’s news also means that inaccurate reporting, media bias, and “fake news” is more prevalent than ever before, and has a much broader reach. The use of hashtags and keywords on social media are allowing these fake news stories to be quickly picked up and spread before they are properly vetted, generating views and driving traffic. Aspiring entrepreneurs have been watching and analyzing this trend carefully. These entrepreneurs see it as a business opportunity and are eager to profit from it. They are dedicating their time to generating websites that specialize in broadcasting fake news, solely for profit and entertainment purposes.
Fake News for Fun and Profit
During the recent presidential election, the public witnessed the real-world consequences of fake news. One particular story, “FBI Agent Suspected In Hillary Email Leaks Found Dead In Apparent Murder-Suicide,” went viral on Facebook after having been shared over a million times. If you thought the headline sounded believable, you weren’t alone. As it turned out, the story was completely false. The article originated on DenverGuardian.com, which was planned and designed to mimic other local news websites. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that this headline was the only news story ever published to the site.
