#junknews

[morganpike-blog1]

Junk News

There are three reasons junk news spreads so quickly across social media: Algorithms, advertising, and exposure. Algorithms are used as a way to sort and filter through content to fit what people like and want. This is how Facebook ads are catered to what you’re interested in because of algorithms. This also helps the advertising aspect of social media. In advertising, they use a thing called quickbait to spread curiosity about other products/companies and introduce the person to new things they may like. Another way social media uses advertising to spread junk news is by almost forcing people to vote for certain things by micro-targeting. Only exposing the people to something specific can help persuade them. Lastly, exposure is used to spread junk news by exposing the people to what they want or prefer making it more narrow.

[abbeyerickson]

Week 8: “Junk News”

A posing question that many people may wonder is why and how has the rise of social media contributed to the spread of “junk news”. In the article “Three reasons junk news spreads so quickly across social media”, from the Oxford Internet Institute, gives reasons for this question. 

The first reason for the spread of “junk news” is algorithms. Everything we search on the internet is based around an algorithm. Social media platforms rely and use algorithms to determine how new and content are consumed by its users. If I were to search just general news articles online, those algorithms would be what I get my content from and what articles would pop up to read. This causes personalization of content such as filter bubbles that limit the information and creates bias. 

Second, advertising is another reason. The article states that social media platforms are built on collecting user data and selling it to companies to enable them to better understand populations of users, while offering companies the ability to craft and deliver micro-targeted messages to those populations. This advertising model is what you see on apps like Facebook where clothing brands or things you may have search prior reappear. These clickbait’s are designed to provoke particular emotion responses, while empowering various actors to micro-target potential voters. This can be used in political campaigns.

The last reason is exposure. Both algorithms and advertising make up what you are exposed to. Academic studies show that people are more likely to share information with their social networks that conforms to their pre-existing beliefs, deepening ideological differences between individuals and groups. This can cause unbalanced, non representative, or accurate selection of news and information. Many people choose to not follow accounts or news networks that do not align with their already engrained beliefs. 

Businesses and individuals should be aware of these factors that go into what they see. Each of these reasons affect everyone in their day to day lives. They can respond to these factors by changing the way they contribute to these stigmas. Searching different topics than usual or clicking on different points of view can change these algorithms to be more diverse to your personality. “Junk news” can be picked out easily by looking at the facts and authors and not just reading the headline only. 

https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/blog/three-reasons-junk-news-spreads-so-quickly-across-social-media/ 

[joshschultzblog-blog]

The first reason for the rapid spread of junk news on social media is algorithms. The article states that social media platforms rely on algorithms to determine how news and content are disseminated and consumed.These algorithms sort, filter, and deliver content to users in a specific manner. In simpler terms, algorithms control what we see when we search something on google or what news pops up on our Twitter. Thinking about how these algorithms affect me personally, I think about how when I search a question on google, typically the first link at the top of the page is Wikipedia. Rather than giving credible sources our studies done at universities, sources like Wikipedia are prioritized. For those that don’t know, anyone who has access to the internet can write on Wikipedia, making it not a credible source. Additionally, I think about how I constantly see news about Donald Trump on my trending now Twitter feed. Algorithms are responsible for this. 

Another reason for the spread of junk news is advertising. The two main contributions advertising makes towards the spread of junk news are that it gives reward for viral content and that actors are paid to promote political campaigns and votes. Focusing on the reward for viral content, it has given rise to “clickbait”. Clickbait can be defined as content whose main purpose is to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a particular web page. I think about times that I have personally fallen victim to different forms of clickbait. One time, I was scrolling through my phone before class started when I clicked on a video that looked like a crazy new invention for computers.  When I opened the video approximately 5 seconds passed where it was silent, and then all of the sudden it was just an audio clip of a girl screaming loudly. This was very embarrassing for me and whenever I think of click bait I think of that story. Next, focusing on the political aspect of advertising on social media, I think back to the 2016 election. Back when Trump was first running for President I remember seeing a professional UFC fighter posting pictures to support the republican campaign. Wearing a MAGA hat in all of his posts, he continuously support Donald Trumps campaign. This is fine but it important to note that with over 500k followers on instagram, the UFC fighter had a loud voice and could reach masses of people. He has a large influence but just about 0 credibility when it comes to politics. We don’t know if hes supporting it for his own sake or whether or not he has been paid loads of money by some random brand. This is one of the primary reasons for the spread of junk news on social media. 

Finally, exposure is responsible for the spreading of junk news. People have the ability to filter what they are exposed to on social media, meaning that they can choose what they want and don’t want to see. Again, thinking back to the 2016 election I remember constantly seeing Donald Trump’s tweets and other news concerning his campaign. Although I did not follow Donald Trump, his tweets would still pop up on my feed a suggestion. Twitter gives you the option to select “see more of this” or “see less of this”. Avoiding the discussion of politics, I selected to see more of his tweets. As a result, I was continuously exposed to his messages and to news concerning his actions.

[marissamrobinson]

Am I a Victim?

After reading “Three Reasons Junk News Spreads So Quickly Across Social Media”https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/blog/three-reasons-junk-news-spreads-so-quickly-across-social-media/ from the Oxford Internet Institute, I intensely contemplated my thoughts and actions on social media and my involvement in the current primary candidates and political news toxicity.

The three reasons are algorithms, advertising, and exposure.

Algorithms:

Some of my views changed after reading this article. I analyzed my involvement in/on social media and how I may believe it. Search algorithms make sense to me. In a sense I like them. I get to use this website/app and many others for free. Well.. after I buy things from links and share them, or purchase bonus diamonds on my design app. But, it's free. But what bothers me is the idea that I am “paying” for the news I want to read. 

“Although the Internet has provided more opportunities to access information, algorithms have made it harder for individuals to find information from critical or diverse viewpoints.” (Bradshaw, Howard) 

I like A LOT of different things on FaceBook. From funny baby videos to the pictures of life, as I like to call it. -I know quite a few peoples.

 But lately, I have been paying attention to the primaries and mostly the blue wave... or whatever. 

No one really cares yet and I honestly found it EXHAUSTING to try to keep up. I don’t have cable. 

Some of the first posts I see on my wall (on my iPhone I may add) is political posts from Apple.News, Chicago, but mostly INSIDER. A lot of my “Pol-news” comes from there on FB for some reason.

and that’s where FB came in. From liking Anti-Trumps posts to posts of the Dem candidates. I have seen, read, and heard a lot of info. Not to mention ALLLL the other voices upon the media of social. But were my likes and clicks generating the content I was getting? But the question that frightens me more after dwelling on the concept of algorithms and the idea that everyone is just f*ing different, is what are other people seeing on their Facebook walls? 

Advertising:

Again, the business model makes sense - We “like” and “heart” things, so we see more of it- Why would people not want to make money off it.  

The economics of clickbait: “designed to provoke particular emotional responses that increase the likelihood, intensity, and duration of engagement with the content. In practice, one effective way to do this has been to play to people’s existing biases and sense of outrage when their identity or values are perceived to be threatened. This has directly fueled the rise of exaggerated, inaccurate, misleading, and polarizing content.” (Bradshaw, Howard)  .

I have been on Tumblr for about 4 weeks now. I have followed 11 profiles and liked 10 posts (two of which contained dogs). But, I follow a popular liberal political page. I don’ t create many notes, but I read some posts and like a couple. It has an outraged tone and teeter-toter content. I read a couple notes, one profile called him out on his somewhat blue side but constantly based the dem primary candidates. I got the point. But I am all sorts of confused. 

But I have decided to be patient with my political mindset and agreement on the change I would LOVE to see. But, I will sit tight for now while keeping an ear to the ground and my views to mee self :) 

Exposure:

Briefly touching base on The partisanship expanation and that connects political content and the ideological package the “type” of person fits into...

“Effectively this means that voters tend not to change political parties or favored candidates because they are unlikely to voluntarily or proactively acquire radically new information that challenges their perspectives and undermines their preferences.“

So basically, I rarely see good sh** about Trump.... *shrugs*

(The first slideshow news page on my Bing page)

Businesses and individuals (myself included) should be aware of the content they are feeding into. What I mean by this is: 

Careful what you “Like”

Careful what you like

To answer the question, how can they (we) respond to these conditions?

Start liking posts of your Grandma on vacation and those cute puppy viral vids again...

[kelsibwilson-blog]

Junk News Giving You the Blues?

This week I read the article, “Three reasons junk news spreads so quickly across social media" from the Oxford Internet Institute. The article explains why junk news always appears on social media. Junk news is defined in the article as, “the tabloidization, false content, conspiracy theories, and political propaganda”. The three reasons described are Algorithms, Advertising, and Exposure.

Algorithms

Algorithms are, “A unique set of technical elements, intricate logic, and usage analytics that make up the algorithm that delivers content to its users” (https://www.skyword.com/contentstandard/marketing/this-is-exactly-how-social-media-algorithms-work-today/). These algorithms change the way social media is used depending on each person. They make it easy to sort through massive amounts of information but also are known to leak junk news to your social media. 

One algorithm I have noticed change in the last few months is the one having to do with the Instagram feed. Instagram has now started displaying the “things you would most like to see” at the top of your feed. The feed used to display the pictures from most recent to least recent but one day it had changed completely. This algorithm takes what you like, share, and comment on the most and decides what you would like to see first. Honestly, Im not a huge fan of this change. I have noticed that the things I like to see are closer to the top, but also the junk news advertisements are up there as well. This is a big reason I am not surprised algorithms are one of the reasons for the spread of junk news.

Advertising

Advertising is taking the information from social media users and selling it to companies wanting to collect population data. This is obviously the biggest reason junk news is spreading quickly online. When our information is sold to companies, advertisements directed towards your views are placed on your profiles. This means that people interested in these advertisements will aide in spreading the information. Before long, advertisements are just about everywhere, whether they are true or not. 

The biggest example of this right now is the entire Facebook scandal going on. Facebook has been selling our personal information to companies for years, even without our knowledge. “Facebook likely knows far more about you than you may suspect, and the data may be in the hands of more advertisers and app developers than you realize”, according to an article on cbsnews.com. Without known consent of users, Facebook has taken all of our information and given it to advertisers. I have noticed this when I log on and see advertisements specifically to me, even if I haven't searched for anything of the sort. This is honestly pretty scary since nobody knows exactly who has our information. The junk news has started to spread like wildfire, especially thanks to Facebook advertisements.

Exposure

Exposure takes the sorting of information from algorithms and advertising in order to show, or “expose”, users to the things they want to see. The article explains this more, saying that the things you have been proven to want to see will show up more and more often in order to strengthen your interest in it. This is a big tactic when it comes to the Presidential election. If you show an interest in one candidate, advertisements will increase your exposure to that candidate. This proves how exposure is a direct advocate of the spread of junk news.

During the election two years ago, I noticed my exposure to candidates I was interested in increased significantly on Twitter. I read and “liked” one article about the Democratic Party on Twitter and started to notice more tweets about different Democratic candidates appear on my feed. I am not really a big political person, so this was not normal. Not only was I seeing tweets supporting the Democratic Party, but also I saw a lot of tweets dissing the other side. My exposure to this junk news increased tenfold just because I showed interest in one article. 

All in All

Junk news is real and it’s here to stay. These three factors keep it alive and make sure it continues to spread to all social media. Business and individuals need to know that there is no real stop to the junk news predicament but there are ways to deal with it. I would suggest not clicking on any of the advertisements displaying this news. The best thing you can do is ignore it! Even if this is difficult, junk news is always two steps ahead. Do your best to ignore it and it won't get the best of you.

Thats all for now! Thanks for reading.