2. Misinformation in Social Media

 Misinformation is commonly mistaken for the definition of disinformation, which means the complete opposite of misinformation. For clarity, misinformation is the action of someone inadvertently spreading false information. In other words, the information isn't deceitful or published by someone with the intention of lying--it's just the wrong information. 

Misinformation is commonly referred to as "fake news," which is widely spread on social media daily. In today's time, anyone with a social media platform has the freedom to post whatever they choose, and in some cases, some content creators choose to post information on current events. However, not all informative posts provide accurate information and are clearly fact-checked. More than often, content creators will either provide their perspective of current events or say things that they've heard about and present it as genuine information. This is how misinformation starts. 

Based on multiple published articles by journalists, over 8 of 10 Americans receive their news from mobile devices and social media, overriding news outlets on television, radio, and newspaper. Unfortunately, not all content creators are legitimate outlets, which is how misinformation begins and flourishes. In this case, if a creator has enough following and trust from his/her audience, the share button is likely to become popular, in which posts have seen up to millions of shares in the past. 

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Earlier this year, on July 13, news sources reported that a sniper attempted assassination on President Donald Trump as he addressed an outdoor rally in Pennsylvania (CBS News). Multiple people posted quickly online, with statements like, "Who did it? I bet you it was the government themselves. They're all on the same side," and "He wouldn't stop looking in that direction. Obviously someone who could make that shot wouldn't miss if they were intending to kill him. Then he got up and raised his hand. He would have sh-t his pants if this was real." This rhetoric has caused tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands even, of people worldwide to consider if the attempted assassination was the government's own doing. CBS News journalist, Ted Koppel, states "More and more Americans are getting their information almost entirely from outlets that echo their own political point of view," which perfectly describes the reality of the social media algorithm in current time and it's affect on global news.