1 Introduction What is fake news? The simple definition is that a fake news story is a story that isn’t true. However, fake news is a bit more complex than that. There are different types of fake news and these stories are spread for different reasons. Fake news can be as innocent as a joke or a bit of fun, but many types of fake news are seriously bad news. A newspaper can choose the facts it includes in a story to make its readers react in a certain way. A business can use fake news to harm a competitor or to boost their own sales. A criminal may use fake news to try and steal information or money from an unsuspecting victim. Fake news can even be used to try and bring down a government or influence an election result.
2
34380_P001_056.indd 2
27/10/2021 11:10
