The ‘fake news' run faster than the real news on Twitter

We live in the era of overinformation.Social networks spread the news in an unprecedented way , but there is also growing concern about the spread of fake news through these channels. To shed light on this phenomenon, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Sloan School of Management (in the United States) have carried out the largest study on the transmission of Twitter falsehoods between 2006 and 20017.The results, which have been published in the latest issue of the journal Science, warn that the data analyzed includes some 126,000 stories tweeted by three million people more than 4.5 million times between the period studied.

»The stories were designated as true or false under the criteria of six independent data verification organizations, which showed great agreement on classifications» , explains SW Roush Vosoughi, a researcher at the MIT Media Lab and one of the three authors of the study in an article by the Sinc Agency.Thus, the promoters of the study observed the probability that a tweet would create a cascade of retweets and it was seen that the false information was spread faster and more widely than the truth in all categories of information."Overall, the fake news were 70% more likely to be retweeted than the truth," says Vosoughi.

the false news about politics, in first position

The effects were more pronounced in the fake news referring to political issues , ahead of those that allude to terrorism, natural disasters, science, urban legends or financial information., contrary to what we might think, humans and not robots are the main diffusers, more likely to propagate fake news than bots.

Prior to this work, scientific studies on the dissemination of hoaxes had been limited to cases of unique stories or small sample analysis, the authors stress.Among the conclusions of the new study, the researchers point out that the amount of false news in Twitter is clearly increasing and shot during key events, such as the U.S.presidential elections of 2012 and 2016.

A surprising finding is that users who spread fake news had few followers , followed fewer people, did not have much activity and had been on Twitter less time.Also, according to the authors, the data they support the 'hypothetics of novelty' in the face of truth, so people are more likely to share fake news .

False rumors also inspire responses that express greater surprise, corroborating the hypothesis of novelty, and greater fear and disgust.The truth, on the other hand, inspired greater sadness, anticipation, joy and confidence.These emotions, Expressed in response to falsehoods, they can help you learn more about what inspires people to share fake news, scientists conclude.

fight against the fake news

Researchers at the University of Indiana (United States) have published a rostrum in the same issue of Science in which they call to fight against this type of news.

Filippo Menczer, professor of the Faculty of Informatics and Engineering of this university, is co-author of this article in which a coordinated investigation on the social, psychological and technological forces behind false information is requested., the diffusion of false news has attracted much attention in the current political context.According to Menczer, "In the United States, the political polarization has caused an aversion towards the 'other side', fostering an environment in which this news they can attract a mass audience." The authors cite preliminary evidence from a study that estimates that the average American found between one and three false news stories during the month before the 2016 presidential election.

To address the problem, researchers make two key recommendations: one that focuses on empowering people to evaluate the fake news they find; another points to structural changes to avoid exposing people to this kind of news.

damn bulo and maldita.es

In our country, journalistic initiatives have also emerged to combat fake news such as Maldito Bulo or maldita.es, whose main objective is the purpose of which is to provide readers with "tools so they don't sneak it".In addition, Maldito Bulo has launched an extension available for Google Chrome and Firefox that notifies you when you enter a website with false news and even shows you the denial of the information.

NO.

There are no men posing as police officers to kidnap women who go alone in their car in Asturias.

Take advantage that there are three disappearances to extend the hoax.

The Civil Guard has denied it.

More hoaxes at https://t.co/lJOOclmXZc pic.twitter.com/YxDawTG0xy

-MALDITO BULO (@malditobulo) March 5, 2018

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