There are different levels of "fake news". Some are fun and satire, while others can be dangerous. Personally, I love a good The Onion article. The Onion does a great job of reporting and using techniques of hiring professional journalists to write their articles. However, their website is entirely satire. Many audiences know that The Onion is a complete satire source, and if they don't, one look at an article titled "NASA Astronaut Prepare for Mission to Mars By Spending Year in Simulated Colony on Venus" usually does the trick.
The dangerous forms of "fake news" come into play when sources use false or misleading information. What is "fake news"? According to David M. J. Lazer, "Fake news" is "fabricated information that mimics news media content in form but not in organizational process or intent. Fake news outlets, in turn, lack the news media's editorial norms and processes for ensuring the accuracy and credibility of information. Fake news overlaps with other information disorders, such as misinformation (false or misleading information) and disinformation (false information that is purposely spread to deceive people)."
You can read more about what Lazer had to say about "fake news" here.
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