Impact of Fake News on Elections

This assignment explores the detrimental effects of fake news on elections. It emphasizes how the spread of misinformation can sway public opinion, erode trust in media institutions, and ultimately undermine democratic processes. The text delves into the motivations behind creating and disseminating fake news, arguing that profit-driven agendas often outweigh concerns for accuracy and ethical reporting. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of raising public awareness about the dangers of fake news and promoting critical consumption of information to mitigate its negative impact.

RUNNING HEAD: CASE STUDY 1
Case study assessment task
Topic 4: The circulation of ‘fake news’ in election campaigns
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Topic 4: The circulation of ‘fake news’ in election campaigns 2
Introduction
Fake news websites are generally hoax that pretends to be legitimate. These websites are
known for spreading rumours among public for seeking false interest. Fake news articles are one
that are intentionally and verbally wrong in nature. The main purpose of the article is to mislead
the readers. The case study focus on the news articles having political implication in US 2016
Elections. The case regarding the FBI agent suspected in Hilary email leaks found dead in
apparent murder-suicide. The report focus on origination of satirical website produced during the
elections. The defunct website wtoe5news.com stated that Pope Francis has endorsed Donald
Trump’s Presidency during the election. Most of the articles were satirical in nature but shared
million times on Facebook. There were certain websites that were developed purely for fun
during the election (Allcott & Gentzkow, 2017).
Fake News during USA 2016 election
Fake news article originates on several websites. Some of the website is developed to
spread the fake news among people. These sites are named exactly like the original websites in
order to fool the readers. The 2016 US election has provided with an endless incidences that
focus on the fake news. US company Disinfomedia owns many fake news sites. It includes
NationalReport.net, USAToday.com.co, and WashingtonPost.com.co. Paul Horner, a USA based
producer ran a winning fake news site called National Report for years. During the 2016
election, the producer published news supporting Trump (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). This came
out to be main reason for supporting fake news. The reason behind running the fake news is
pecuniary. The purpose is to draw attention of the readers towards the news to go viral on social
media. This has significantly helped in drawing significant advertising revenue. This came out to

Topic 4: The circulation of ‘fake news’ in election campaigns 3
be one of the main reasons behind the motivation for most of the producers. The teenagers in
Veles, produced stories favouring both Trump and Clinton helped then in earning ten thousand
of dollars. Paul Horner produced pro-Trump stories for gaining profit claiming to be individually
opposed to Trump (Borden & Tew, 2007) .The other reason for spreading the motivation. These
fake news providers look for advancing favour to their favourite candidate. There are few who
started the fake news website to help Donald Trump’s campaign. Additional providers of right-
wing fake news in fact say they recognize as left-wing and sought after to humiliate those on the
right by naively circulating the false stories (Brewer & Marquardt, 2007).
There are two possible unobserved slates of the world that most probably represents the
candidates on the right and left side. Media channels do get the signal for publishing news. They
publish the news after checking on the facts. Each and every media house has a reporting
strategy to publish the news. They have an option either to publish the correct news or to issue
one with bias (McBeth & Clemons, 2011). Consumers do receive utility through the news;
firstly they want to know the actual news and secondly they are looking for the psychological
utility. Consumers do choose the news that serves their maximum utility. Producers of the fake
news are the organization with two distinguishing characteristics. They do not make any such
investment in accurate report. Moreover they are not concerned with the market reputation. The
purpose is to generate maximum number of click on the news headlines to generate more views.
This fake news has a potential to add certain level of social cost (Brewer, Young & Morreale,
2013). Consumers have become more sceptical of legitimate news producers. It has become
difficult for the consumers to distinguish in between the fake and real news. These factors do
have a potential to reinforced equilibrium by supply-side responses. In case of a reduced demand
for high-precision, low-bias reporting will reduce the incentives. All these negative effects of the

Topic 4: The circulation of ‘fake news’ in election campaigns 4
trade off against any welfare gain have a high impact on consumers who enjoy reading fake
news. This forms to be an important part in managing the news (Walgrave, Lefevere &
Nuytemans, 2009). The theoretical concept related to the fake news and its implication in
influencing People during the election. The fake news is circulated through the online channels.
These channels are having a long lasting impact on the mind of the voter. There are certain
instances where the reader is unable to distinguish in between the real and the fake news. Social
media channels do have a long lasting impact/ Most of the news that arrives through these
platforms does not contain any amount of evidence. The social media channels are being used
as a tool to spread the fake news (Reilly, 2012). Majority of social media platform is used to
spread fake news. There is no proper source cited while publishing news. There is no proper link
that provide with authentication of the news that is available on the website. In bringing a change
it is important to understand the changes that can affect the election. It has a long-lasting
impression on the mind of the readers. The news is gathered with an intention to attract reading.
For the purpose of generating fake interest in people, the news channel is creating wide interest
by generating interest (Bennett, 2016).
It was reported during the US elections that there were 100 of fake Facebook accounts
that are operated from US. These accounts were intended to create fake among people. The USA
election has created a wide spread impression in the mind of people by running fake news
throughout the day. The fake news ads are detected is relatively small. It is due to the external
influencing factors in order to manage the excess pressure that is created due to the external
interference. The important factor is related to the coordination in between the various factors
that have a long lasting impact in the mind of the readers. This is important from the point of
view of removing the long-term impact on the mind of the people. It is important from the point

Topic 4: The circulation of ‘fake news’ in election campaigns 5
of view of developing better opportunities in order to deal with the factors that has been
influencing the different factors. There are majority of fake news factories that has been
influencing the election in many ways. It is through these news channels that the interest of
people is been getting influenced. The factors are affecting the votes of people during the
election. The interest of people largely depends upon the individual interest during the process of
election. Google has admitted the circulation of such news that is affecting the election and
interest of people. The search giant has found the people for managing the interest of parties in
the election. Fake news has a long lasting impact on the mind of people. It is though the
websites that the news channel is circulating fake news in order to influence interest of people.
This has significantly helped in drawing significant advertising revenue. This came out to be one
of the main reasons behind the motivation for most of the producers. One of the reasons behind
the issue is due to the ineffective process that is attached with the election (Metaxas &
Mustafaraj, 2012).
Conclusion
At many times, there is fake news regarding any incidence during election campaign.
Most of the news is circulated comes from a place that has certain level of interest. This is
common in each and every country. Not just in USA, but there are other countries as well that
see such incidences, this do affect the people with littler information about the incidence. Such
incidences can only be reduced if general awareness is created. This will help in creating
awareness about the right news. Such websites need to be checked timely. This will help in
gaining long-term interest of the political party in managing election. This is however important
for generating awareness in order to reduce the ill-effect of such incidences. They do not make
any such investment in accurate report. Moreover they are not concerned with the market

Topic 4: The circulation of ‘fake news’ in election campaigns 6
reputation. The purpose is to generate maximum number of click on the news headlines to
generate more views. This fake news has a potential to add certain level of social cost. Countries
are taking strict measure to control such incidences and therefore urging people to be smart
enough while going through news. It is important from the point of view of reducing the
aftermath of such incidences. However, it is necessary to provide support to different incidences
in order to gain long term interest of people and the political party associated.
References
Allcott, H., & Gentzkow, M. (2017). Social media and fake news in the 2016 election (No.
w23089). National Bureau of Economic Research.
Bennett, W. L. (2016). News: The politics of illusion. University of Chicago Press.
Borden, S. L., & Tew, C. (2007). The role of journalist and the performance of journalism:
Ethical lessons from “fake” news (seriously). Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 22(4), 300-
314.
Brewer, P. R., & Marquardt, E. (2007). Mock news and democracy: analyzing The Daily
Show. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 15(4), 249-267.
Brewer, P. R., Young, D. G., & Morreale, M. (2013). The impact of real news about “fake
news”: Intertextual processes and political satire. International Journal of Public Opinion
Research, 25(3), 323-343.
Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and
opportunities of Social Media. Business horizons, 53(1), 59-68.

Topic 4: The circulation of ‘fake news’ in election campaigns 7
McBeth, M. K., & Clemons, R. S. (2011). Is Fake News the Real News?. The Stewart/Colbert
Effect: Essays on the Real Impacts of Fake News. Ed. Amarnath Amarasingam. Jefferson,
NC: McFarland.
Metaxas, P. T., & Mustafaraj, E. (2012). Social media and the elections. Science, 338(6106),
472-473.
Reilly, I. (2012). Satirical fake news and/as American political discourse. The Journal of
American Culture, 35(3), 258-275.
Walgrave, S., Lefevere, J., & Nuytemans, M. (2009). Issue ownership stability and change: How
political parties claim and maintain issues through media appearances. Political
Communication, 26(2), 153-172.