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Fake News Is A Real Problem

Fake news has been hitting the genuine headlines since the US election and, as the infographic below shows, it's a real problem. As research by Buzzfeed using Buzzsumo shows, from August until election day, fake news stories had more engagement on Facebook than mainstream stories did. The most 'popular' story falsely stated that Pope Francis had endorsed Donald Trump for the presidency - receiving almost one million engagements (shares, reactions and comments). In a time of 'post-truth' though, these revelations are unlikely to sway the opinions of those that cast their vote for the now president elect.

Description

This chart shows the Facebook engagement of fake news stories on the US election 2016.

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Most popular fake election stories in the United States in 2016, by Facebook engagement* (in thousands)
Facebook engagements for the top 20 election stories in the United States in 2016, by authenticity (in millions)
Share of adults who believe fake news is a major problem in the United States as of March 2019, by political affiliation
Perceived accuracy of fake news headlines in the United States as of December 2016
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Share of adults who saw any fake news stories online during the 2016 presidential election in the United States as of October 2017
Premium statistics
Share of adults who saw any fake news stories online during the 2016 presidential election in the United States as of October 2017

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