Many online news and information platforms allow us to vote on the content, noting what we click on, what we like, and what we ignore. As we provide this information, self-segmentation can occur over time. We may only be shown those news and entertainment stories that are most likely to capture our attention, leaving other stories off our page to be ignored and forgotten because we never had the chance to consider them.
Fake news is also part of this attention-getting landscape of news and entertainment and, all too often, it is passed off as legitimate when it is not.
In this Discussion, you will consider the problems associated with self-segmentation, as well as the identification and impact of fake news.
Resources
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity. Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCE
To prepare for this Discussion:
- Read the Communication Program Discussion Guidelines.
- Watch the “What Obligation Do Social Media Platforms Have to the Greater Good?" video.
- Read “Real News/Fake News: About Fake News” in this week’s Learning Resources.
- Watch the “Why Do Our Brains Love Fake News?” video from PBS.
- Watch the “Ed Pariser: Beware the Online “Filter Bubbles” video.
By Day 3
Post a response that addresses the following questions:
- Explain how you, or someone you know, has inadvertently self-segmented. What are the problems with doing this?
- How can self-segmentation lead to the increase in fake news
- Why is it hard to identify fake news?