Before President Trump co-opted the phrase "fake news" to mean "news that he doesn't like," fake news was just that: "deliberately false stories posing as news," Trevor Noah reminded everyone on Wednesday's Daily Show. These false stories proliferated on non-traditional news sources like social media, which is a problem, because two-thirds of U.S. adults say they get at least some of their news via social media, he said. That's a particular problem for a man falsely accused of being the Las Vegas shooter, one of several fake news stories featured prominently on Google News and Facebook this week. Twitter's culpable, too.
It gets dicier, and more global, Noah said. "If there's one guaranteed way to make any situation worse, just sprinkle a little Russia over it." Facebook says more than 10 million people saw covert Russia-linked ads during the 2016 campaign, especially in Wisconsin and Michigan, he explained, but "regardless of your politics, the reason you should care about fake news online is because it's not just about Russians meddling in U.S. elections — it's about Russians working to divide everyone."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Spanish cop, 20 million euros and 13 tonnes of cocaineIn the Spotlight Óscar Sánchez Gil, Chief Inspector of Spain's Economic and Tax Crimes Unit, has been arrested for drug trafficking
-
5 hilarious cartoons about the rise and fall of Matt GaetzCartoons Artists take on age brackets, backbiting, and more
-
The future of XTalking Point Trump's ascendancy is reviving the platform's coffers, whether or not a merger is on the cards
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appealSpeed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain PrizeSpeed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 winsspeed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughterspeed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
