#Nytimes election website full#

There has been a widespread of misinformation surrounding the 2016 US elections in the social media, and in particular, Facebook. Source: CBS Newsĭo not believe everything you read on the Internet, and clearly, do not believe Google’s 'one true answer' feature. Image: The inaccurate Google search result aiding the scourge of fake news during the 2016 US election. Google's top search result was actually fake news: it claimed that Trump had won both the popular vote and the Electoral College, when, in fact, Trump had won the Electoral College, but not the popular vote - Hillary Clinton did. Moreover, when Internet users searched for ‘final election numbers’ or similar phrases in Google in the days after the presidential election, Google's top search result directed users to the link of this fake news blog. One such example was the fake, heavily biased pro-Trump site '70news' which redirected to a WordPress blog page that said that Trump had won both the popular vote and the Electoral College.

Social media users propagated a large number of messages that disparaged candidates and distorted the facts presented to voters in 2016. While false information often surfaces from misinformed social media posts contrived to make money by advertising, it can also arise by regular people making incorrect personal observations.įact-checking is necessary for both news consumption, as well as objective reporting, even when pressed for time. Image: The New York Times article deconstructs how an observation made by a private citizen on Twitter can quickly become a talking pointįalse information, deliberate misinformation, hoaxes and fake news frequently spread through social media due to the information overload and limited attention span users allocate to these questionable sources, particularly when little or no attention is paid to question their truthfulness.

#Nytimes election website full#

Trump had you seen it at the time it was posted? Do you think you would have believed Mr Tucker's Twitter post? Why, or why not? (click on the image below for the full story). How likely is it you would have believed the story about the “paid, bussed” protesters demonstrating against President-elected Donald J. When researching and making informed decisions it is important to ask pertinent questions, use critical thinking skills, and evaluate all sources of information in particular it is essential to consider the accuracy and objectivity of resources, that is, if the purpose and intention of the sources are clear, including the presence of any biases. Presented are a few stories (below) that portray how 'fake news' could have helped determine the outcome of the 2016 US presidential election. 'Post-truth' as a concept is defined as ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than what appeals to emotion and personal belief’. Along with the increase of fake news, however, we have also witnessed the increase in the usage of the term 'post-truth', with the Oxford Dictionaries declaring 'post-truth' to be its international word of the year in 2016. The term “fake news”, popularised by US President Donald Trump, is so prevalent now that it is hard to believe that just a few years ago the term was barely used. It will be so obvious.The term 'fake news' became mainstream during the 2016 US election campaign when hundreds of websites published falsified or heavily biased stories – many of them in the pursuit of capitalising on social media advertising revenue. It’s bad,” political commentator Mike Cernovich tweeted. “Maybe you shouldn’t have spent six months convincing your gullible readers that democracy will end if their party loses,” radio host Dan O’Donnell responded. Consider plotting out specific times when you will look for election updates.

Focus on expanding your belly as you breathe, which can send more oxygen to the brain.

Even a walk around the block can offer some relief for an uneasy mind.

Plunge your face into a bowl with ice water for 15 to 30 seconds. When you trace up, breathe in, and when you trace down, breathe out. Trace the outside of your hand with your pointer finger. The Times tweeted out a graphic instructing readers to try the following five tips “to soothe election stress”: The New York Times was mocked Tuesday evening after publishing advice on how people can “cope” with the results of the midterm elections, which included telling readers to “breathe like a baby.”