News

Why smart people fall for false information and what to do about it

phys.org · last updated

America has a misinformation problem. It’s in our news feeds, on our social media timelines, and at our kitchen tables. It’s driving wedges between friends and family—and sharp political divides.

Related Knowledge Center: Information integrity

State of Play

In an increasingly fractured media landscape, truth has been a casualty in the public discussion. Coverage has been warped by the business needs of struggling news organizations, and a significant segment of the public relies on bad-faith outlets that are little more than propagandists. While fact-checking has become routine, some organizations are exploring other ways to combat the trends. And misinformation spewed by AI-driven chatbots has become more of a feature than simply a bug. 

Fact-checking and its detractors


More informationabout Information integrity