University of Kwazulu-Natal

Statistics Facts About Fake News Statista

Bonisiwe Shabane
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statistics facts about fake news statista

The rise of misinformation poses complex challenges for society today. Recent statistics highlight that fabricated content has proliferated across digital and traditional media formats. From false pandemic cures propagated by bots to fake news shared unknowingly by citizens, misinformation has permeated the information ecosystem. This proliferation has been enabled by political agendas, social media micro-targeting, clickbait incentives, deepfake technology, and more. The result is declining public trust, threats to democratic discourse, and an imperative for collaborative solutions that uphold truth-telling while maintaining free expression. This analysis aims to make sense of the so-called "infodemic" by showcasing key data on the sources, spread, and impacts of misinformation in media in 2023.

Quantifying the prevalence provides crucial context for tackling this concerning trend. Understanding public opinion and perception of the news media is crucial for tackling the misinformation crisis. Declining trust in journalism threatens the media's role as providers of credible information. The proliferation of false content and growing concerns around bias have shaped negative audience attitudes. Quantifying these perspectives highlights the scope of the credibility deficit news organizations face today. Reasons for declining trust include the spread of fake news, with adults worldwide realizing stories were fake after believing them at first.

The rise of misinformation online poses major challenges for journalists and threatens to undermine public trust in the media. The following statistics highlight journalists' deep concerns about fabricated content, constraints on press freedom, and their efforts to combat false information. Though views on mainstream media's trustworthiness are polarized, journalists broadly agree on the harm posed by the spread of mis- and disinformation. In 2025, fake news continues to pollute the internet at an alarming scale, with 62% of online content now deemed false. A staggering 86% of global citizens have been exposed to misinformation, while 40% of content shared on social media is fake. In the U.S., 80% of adults have consumed fake news, and 23% admit to sharing false stories, knowingly or not.

Trust is eroding: only 32% of Americans trust new media, and fake news costs the global economy $78 billion annually. In this report, I uncover key statistics on fake news from around the world, highlighting its spread, sources, and impact. Let us get into it! Over half of the information on the Internet is fake. This means less than 50% of the information on the Internet is true. This section will provide you with insights into the nature and percentage of information available on the internet.

64% of adults in the United States believe that false news stories are intentional and deliberately misleading 70% of Americans have encountered false or misleading news online 59% of Americans report that they have shared fake news articles 80% of misinformation on social media is spread by a small number of users Fake news stories are 70% more likely to be shared than true stories on Twitter Barry is a technology enthusiast with a passion for in-depth research on various technological topics.…...

| See full bio Rohan is a senior editor at Sci-Tech Today with extensive knowledge of digital marketing, SEO,…... | See full bio Fake News Statistics: Fake news refers to information that is untrue and deliberately circulated, intending to deceive the reader. The dissemination of fake news statistics has increased tremendously over the past few years with the development of social media and other online platforms. It has become a serious concern in various countries as of the year 2024 for aspects such as trust among the citizens, politics, and the social conduct of the people.

There are concerted efforts by both the authorities and technology industries to contain the menace of false information. This article will show the fake news statistics and facts below, showing how prevalent this modern issue is today. There is an upward trend within governments, technology companies, and non-profit organisations in the combating of disinformation. In the year 2024: 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. This chart shows the Facebook engagement of fake news stories on the US election 2016. Can I integrate infographics into my blog or website? Yes, Statista allows the easy integration of many infographics on other websites. Simply copy the HTML code that is shown for the relevant statistic in order to integrate it.

Our standard is 660 pixels, but you can customize how the statistic is displayed to suit your site by setting the width and the display size. Please note that the code must be integrated into the HTML code (not only the text) for WordPress pages and other CMS sites. The risk of encountering disinformation across digital and legacy media is ever more common. Through this database, Statista provides key information on press freedom and news consumption, trust in media and disinformation shared in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also contains data on the public's perceptions about these issues.

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