The way one interacts with one another has changed dramatically as a result of social media as these platforms have brought people closer together in novel and significant ways. Stories and opinions now can spread at an unprecedented rate, providing people all over the world with near-real-time access to a conversation about both important and trivial issues. But as it is said every coin has two sides, Social media too has drawbacks which are fake news. This misinformation has the potential to influence users, manipulating them for political or economic gain. Misinformation, also known as “fake news” in modern parlance, is defined as false or inaccurate information that is disseminated with the intent to deceive those who read it.
Information or opinions with which one disagrees do not always constitute misinformation. While the term “fake news” is frequently used as a derogatory in journalism today, this is a deceptive application of the term; indeed, the practice of labeling fact-based reporting as “misinformation” because it does not align with an individual’s political beliefs, it could be considered misinformation in and of itself. News organizations build reputations based on the quality and consistency of their news reporting, especially when it comes to fact-checking and presenting a balanced view of issues. There are both reliable and untrustworthy news sources, and it is critical to evaluate a source’s credibility when determining the veracity of its content.
One such name in the news industry who is renowned for credibility and authenticity is NEWS44, a brand-new Delhi-based online news portal, was founded by Bhupender Kumar, Rishi Dubey, and Sumit Kr Vasudev. It is a platform with a presence in both digital and print media. NEWS 44 was incepted with the intention of sharing inspiring stories about ordinary people, their journey, their plight, and their hard work. With the intention to elicit and disseminate stories that do not find a home in the major national media, and for that purpose, they have three people at the management level from three different backgrounds, as well as a formidable team of journalists, and content writers, editors, and field reporters.
Fake news spreads like wildfire thanks to social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (majorly). Fake news creators share their content on social media in order to spread the story, and some of them even have accounts with thousands of likes. Facebook has approximately 2.85 billion monthly active users, Twitter 353 million, and Instagram 1 billion. And, because these social media sites have such a large audience, the spread of fake news is much faster than from any other source. As a result, the use of such platforms facilitates the spread of a large number of fake news or stories. Hence, it is important to be cautious before following any page or believing on any news, to check its authenticity and for which news portals such as NEWS44 come to rescue.
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