Fake news stories with clickable headlines that millions of people read and share have become a focus during the U.S. Presidential Election. People who run fake news sites make a lot of money from advertising. The identities of these fake news creators can be hard to track. In this story a reporter pursued one story to its creator to learn about why he started writing fake news. Listen to hear more about how untrue news goes viral, and who creates these stories.
Story Length: 7:27
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November 23, 2016
1:59
Since Donald Trump's election victory, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has come out twice to address the issue of fake news. A spokesperson said Facebook is not doing business with fake news apps. These are sites that promote false and inaccurate information which then goes viral. Facebook sells ad space inside its news feed and says these outside parties are not allowed to use the ad network. However, stories make money for Facebook when they are clicked, if they happen to get posted. Google, another tech giant, said it's working on a policy to keep its ads off fake news sites. Listen to hear more about this social media controversy.
Read MoreAugust 22, 2016
9:45
The 2016 United States presidential election is unlike past elections. Many Americans feel strongly that the candidates on each side are unfit to be president. This controversial election season has left the media to make difficult ethical decisions about how they represent the candidates to the public. In this story, leaders of major news outlets explain their philosophies on what news to report, and whether or not it is OK to favor one candidate over the other in journalism.
Read MoreFebruary 19, 2015
3:54
Complex computer algorithms designed to weigh options and make choices are consistently outperforming humans. The algorithms aren’t perfect, though, and many people have a hard time trusting them. Why do we feel this way? Would you trust a computer to make an important decision in your life? Listen to learn more about how algorithms work and why humans often mistrust them.
Read MoreMay 15, 2014
4:34
Drones are not just for military use anymore. They are being used by journalists to report stories. But this is raising some privacy concerns.
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