The Onion is one of the first mentions when talking about satirical publications. The Babylon Bee, Cracked, and The Hard Times are also part of this genre. 

However, many people are likely unaware of these websites. They are the ones who will likely fall for the blatantly sarcastic headlines that nonetheless pack a punch.

In this day and age of technology, anything can be disguised as a “credible” internet source. And many young consumers have become susceptible. According to a 2023 survey, a third of Americans aged 18-29 turn to TikTok for information about current events. 

But why does it seem easy for many people to believe what they see online? According to journalist and global speaker Dr. Kalev Leetaru, part of it is the changing times.

In an article he wrote for Forbes, Dr. Leetaru blames the downfall of the “traditional gatekeeper model.” Society has always taught its citizens to accept all types of information at face value as long as it comes from reputable sources like the government, mainstream media, and academics. 

These days, many mainstream media outlets publish sensationalized pieces that push an agenda. And because the news comes from a supposedly credible source, it tends to become more believable.

The way we ingest information has changed dramatically over recent years. For empirical proof, Clearwater, Florida, native James McDaniel created and ran a fake news website for an entire month in early 2017. 

According to reports, McDaniel, who was 28 years old then, wanted to see how naive people were when consuming online content. As he told Politifact in an interview, he was still surprised by how gullible people were.

He used incendiary headlines that were evidently disingenuous. One example was, “Obama tweet: Trump must be removed, by any means necessary.” McDaniel and his team knew no limits with the ridiculousness of their stories. 

The now-defunct UndergroundNewsReport.com gained a million views within a couple of weeks. And they reached such massive numbers even with disclaimers stating that the stories were “fiction and presumably fake news.”

McDaniel’s experiment got so much traction that it landed him in hot water. One article falsely claimed that actress Whoopi Goldberg had criticized the wife of a fallen Navy Seal for supposedly being an attention-grabber during a Congress speech by then-US President Donald Trump. 

Goldberg allegedly made the remarks during an episode of The View, where she was one of the hosts. As a response, she threatened to sue McDaniel. The lawsuit didn’t go through, but the heated publicity urged the site’s creators to pull the plug. 

Four years after its short tenure, the domain is currently for sale for $8,395. That says a lot about its name value.

Unfortunately, misinformation does get more traction than facts. In 2018, research found that fake news on Twitter spreads around faster to a broader audience. 

Experts aren’t blaming the bots. Instead, they fault actual users who share it around and give it more mileage.

But even with the growing awareness about fake news, experts still deem it necessary to remind the public about haphazardly consuming information online. A group of librarians from the Evanston Public Library shared some advice. 

The most important tip is to check your biases. We’re naturally drawn to news articles that align with our beliefs. But Assistant Director Heather Norborg urges asking one crucial question: “What is the writer’s bias?”

Such critical thinking can help us better assess a piece of news and prevent the immediate jump to conclusions.

If you feel that what you’re reading lacks legitimacy, there’s a good chance it is some form of parody. Latino Engagement Librarian Miguel Ruiz said, “Trust is great, but consider the context.” 

Let’s turn the discussion over to you, dear readers. Why do you think it’s easy for some people to fall for fake news? And with AI’s growing prevalence, are things bound to get better or worse? Leave your comments below!