COUNTERING FAKE NEWS
COUNTERING FAKE NEWS

Author(s): Siri Strand, Jente Althuis
Subject(s): Politics, Media studies, Communication studies, Government/Political systems, Policy, planning, forecast and speculation, ICT Information and Communications Technologies
Published by: NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence
Keywords: media; communication; fake news; countering; democratic society; politics; tools; social media;
Summary/Abstract: The increased presence of fake news is seen to pose a challenge to our democratic society. Consequently, we are seeking to identify, understand, and overhaul the vulnerabilities of the media environment in order to limit the phenomenon and consequences of fake news. This Route evaluates the tools, existing knowledge, and ongoing research useful for countering fake news. It provides an overview of existing initiatives by governmental organisations, media outlets, and civil society, and discusses the challenges and dilemmas each actor faces. Furthermore, it assesses the knowns and unknowns of the impact of fake news and those of countering initiatives. Based on this assessment, it identifies the primary gaps in our knowledge regarding how to respond to fake news, as well as the potential of technological innovation and future research directions to close these gaps. In conclusion, it finds that our largest challenge might not merely be the establishment of efficient counter-mechanisms to fake news, but rather how to implement these without undermining institutions and processes that are vital to our democratic system.

• Details
• Contents