BuzzFeed Canada senior editor: don’t underestimate fake news

Senior editor from BuzzFeed Canada says alternative facts are influencing people's lives

Fake news is making a major impact on people’s everyday lives and their worldview, according to a senior editor from BuzzFeed Canada.

“False information can implant something in people’s minds, even if they do not believe that initial story,” Craig Silverman said in a lecture at Ryerson University on Tuesday. “Constant exposure over time will start to change the way people think and the things that they believe.”

Fake news is not a new concept but it is more accessible than ever, Silverman said

“Today, where a lot of information is free, it’s not surprising that we’re seeing fake news.”

Silverman defines fake news as “something that is 100 per cent false, that has been consciously created to fool people, often with a financial motive but not necessarily always.”

Social media plays big role

In 2015, 60 per cent of Canadian adults used Facebook, according to a Forum Research poll.

Silverman said the social media site is one of the prime spots for fake news to appear.

“When you see stuff in the news feed, it is coming from people you trust, it’s coming from pages you already liked and it all kind of looks the same, it’s a very welcoming environment.”

Martese Bellizzi, an English student at Ryerson, said she was recently fooled by a fake news story she found on Facebook.

“I was pissed ... I thought to myself, ‘why are you going to publish something that’s not true,’” Bellizzie said. “You want an honest story, you want honest facts.”

Bellizzi said she’s worried about the bigger impact of fake news but hopes people will become more aware in the future.

“I think it is really concerning that people think they can make up stories and make up information,” she said. “I wish people would be honest. I just wish people would look for honest facts in religion and politics and the world around them.”

Another Ryerson student is concerned for her generation’s reputation.

“I feel like so many people are so misinformed and I feel that it make us look like we’re not credible,” Joanna Tortrici said. “People say millennials are this, millennials are that. Then we vouch for this stuff that isn’t even true, it just makes our case so much worse.”

Ryerson student Jessee Brasil said she finds fake news entertaining.

“If I ever shared something that was fake, I knew it was fake,” said Brasil. “It’s just a fun thing to do, as bad as it sounds.”

Silverman said there are a number of ways to determine whether news is fake.

For example, he said it’s important to see if other credible news organizations are reporting on the same story.

“We all have a responsibility about the stuff that we consume,” Silverman said. “And I think if more people thought about that and took that extra hesitation before pushing something along, that would help out a lot.”