The bill and its attribution to Zuma is just the latest in the ongoing spate of\u00a0“fake news” which has hit the net, and is making it increasingly difficult to separate fact from fiction.<\/p>\n
Fake news is fueled by eager posters on social media who\u00a0favour gossip, novelty, speed and \u201cshareability\u201d of stories.<\/p>\n
According to Simeon Yates, Director Institute of Cultural Capital at the University of Liverpool, social media tends to mistake sociability for social value, adding that fake news stories tend to play into\u00a0existing prejudices<\/p>\n
It is therefore more likely to be \u201cliked\u201d and shared, and in turn\u00a0generate more revenue for the creators.<\/p>\n
“This is no different than ‘celebrity’ magazines. Well-researched and documented news is far less likely to be widely shared,” Yates said.<\/p>\n
“Understanding this complex mix of factors is the job of the social sciences. But maybe the real message here is that we as societies and individuals have questions to answer about educating people to read the news, about our choice not to regulate social media (as we do TV and print) and in our own behaviour,” he said.<\/p>\n
Consumers of news, particularly on platforms such as social media, should combat false information by always checking the sources of news they consume before spreading it on.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Signature-640x854.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n