According to the Ethical Journalism Network, "Fake news is information deliberately fabricated and published with the intention to deceive and mislead others into believing falsehoods or doubting verifiable facts."
Most researchers divide 'fake news' into 3 categories:
Misinformation: information that is false but is not created or spread with the intent to cause harm
Disnformation: information that is false and is deliberately created or spread with the intent to harm others
Malinformation: information that is based in reality but is being used in a way to harm others
"Fake news" has also become a weaponized term, often used by people who want to dismiss stories they don't agree with or which talks negatively about an issue or person they support. An online guide cannot convince people to put aside defensiveness and think critically. But for users who want to strengthen their news and media literacy skills, we hope this guide proves beneficial.
