The first time I ever heard the word "fake news" was when my dad was mimicking former President Donald Trump. Then everyone started using it ironically, within my friend group, on news outlets, or any casual conversation. The way it was used on an everyday basis was when they disagreed with someone’s statement or opinion, but it is essential to know what does fake news really mean and how is it different from misinformation or disinformation? According to the University of Michigan Library, misinformation is "false or inaccurate information" that is spread unintentionally. Disinformation on the other hand is "false information that is deliberately created and spread" and according to dictionary.com, it tries to "deceive people." Fake news, according to Merriam Webster dictionary, is "news that is fake", in other words, fabricated stories. Fake news uses rhetorical devices to influence the emotional behavior of the viewer, for example, scaring them into believing an opinion is fact. According to an NPR article written by Miles Park, the ways to spot fake news is by asking yourself if it is "hitting an emotional trigger," and asking if there "is good evidence" being used. By doing this, you’re better able to identify whether the news is reliable rather than a trigger to make you believe a threatening conspiracy theory. The only way to get sucked into the fake news is by allowing the overwhelming extremes and twisted headlines to overcome your logic.
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