What is fake news?
Deliberate intent to deceive by manipulating individuals’ cognitive biases and causing public harm for financial or ideological profit, amplified by social media reach (Di Domenico et al., 2021).
What is the difference between misinformation and disinformation?
- Misinformation: false information shared without intent to deceive
- Disinformation: false information deliberately created and shared to deceive
What is meant by the fake news dissemination process?
The process through which fake news is created, shared, amplified on social media, and believed by audiences (Di Domenico et al., 2021).
What are conspiracy theories?
Attempts to explain major social or political events through claims of secret plots by powerful actors (Douglas et al., 2018).
Why are people attracted to conspiracy theories?
They satisfy:
- Epistemic motives (need for understanding and certainty)
- Existential motives (need for control and security)
- Social motives (positive self or group identity)
How does reduced reasoning affect belief in misinformation?
People relying on low cognitive reflection are more likely to be persuaded by misinformation.
Do true and false beliefs come from different systems?
No — they arise from the same cognitive system and are guided by biases.
What is truth bias?
The tendency to assume information is true by default (Bond & DePaulo, 2006).
What is the bias to extract meaning?
People interpret information based on prior beliefs, shaping what they think a claim means (Johar, 2022).
What are source heuristics?
Judging information credibility based on who shared it rather than the content itself (Hovland & Weiss, 1951).
What are fluency heuristics?
Information that feels familiar or easy to process is more likely to be believed (Brashier & Marsh, 2020).
Why does fake information spread quickly on social media?
Because familiarity, belief alignment, and social sharing reinforce cognitive biases and reduce trust in credible sources.
How do social identities affect belief in misinformation?
People believe information that aligns with their social or political identity, even if it is inaccurate.
What is direct misinformation?
False information that directly targets a brand or its products.
What is indirect misinformation?
False information about broader social, political, or scientific issues that indirectly affects brands.
How does fake news affect brands?
Erodes trust and loyalty
Can lead to consumer boycotts
What role does PR play in responding to fake news?
PR helps re-establish trust through strategic communication.
When are aggressive PR tactics effective?
When consumers are highly involved in the issue.
When are defensive PR tactics effective?
When consumers believe the fake news is meant to tarnish the brand rather than protect consumers.
What are fake positive reviews?
Reviews bought or seeded to inflate ratings, often detected by sudden surges (e.g. Google flags them as spam).
What are fake negative reviews?
Negative reviews posted to damage a brand, often by competitors (review bombing).
What is review bombing?
A coordinated effort to post many negative reviews to harm a product, service, or business.
How can brands detect fake reviews?
- Sudden bursts of 1-star or 5-star reviews
- Reviews from new accounts
- Vague or repetitive language
How should brands respond to fake reviews?
- Respond publicly and professionally
- Use verified purchase filters
- Report fraudulent content
- Encourage authentic customer reviews
