How to get a fake news story from your newsfeed
A number of sites have started to warn users to steer clear of fake news and social-media hoaxes on their feeds, citing a rise in the spread of hoaxes in the wake of the deadly shootings in California and Las Vegas.
The California shooting, which left 58 dead, prompted a number of social-news sites to report a spike in “fake news” stories, including fake photos and videos.
The National Rifle Association’s PAC, for instance, ran a series of articles calling on gun owners to be more vigilant and report “fake stories” to the organization.
Some of the most prominent hoaxes have involved celebrities and politicians, like the hoax that Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) was murdered.
The NRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on these stories.
The fake news stories, in turn, have led to some celebrities and media outlets going public with their own claims of being duped.
Celebrities like John Legend and Katy Perry have taken to Twitter to share their stories of being “tricked” by the hoaxes.
One such tweet from former “Glee” cast member and current “Saturday Night Live” castmate Keegan-Michael Key told the world, “This is not a hoax.
I know for a fact that there is no truth to these allegations.
I’ve had multiple women call me over the last year to talk about how I’ve been duped into believing these stories.”
In an email to Newsweek, Key said he’s been “traumatized” by how much he has been made to feel vulnerable.
“I have to fight every single day to keep my family safe, and I do this every day with my kids,” Key said.
“It’s just a real hard job, and it hurts.”
In addition to the NRA, other media outlets have also run stories about the spread.
BuzzFeed published a story about “an unnamed man” who allegedly faked his own death to get into the U.S. military after an unspecified online event.
The article claimed that an unidentified man “accidentally” entered the U, the US.
Marine Corps’ website, and then “faked” his death to gain admission to enlisting.
The story was quickly taken down, but it is still up on the website of a popular web-based recruitment site.
BuzzFeed did not respond to requests for comment from Newsweek.
The same story also appeared on Vice News.
BuzzFeed also said that an unnamed man contacted the site with an “outrageous” claim, saying he was a member of the Uighur People’s Republic of China, which was the source of the claim.
BuzzFeed said it does not support or endorse any groups.
The site also said it had contacted both the Urumqi province in China and the Russian consulate in Moscow to report the story.
In an interview with The Associated Press, a spokesman for Vice News told the AP that it was a mistake to publish the story without verifying the authenticity of the story first.
“This person has been identified and we are investigating it,” he said.
The Associated Media reached out to Vice News for comment, but did not receive a response.