Conference Paper: “Fake News As We Feel It: Perception and Conceptualization of the Term ‘Fake News’ in the Media”

The following paper (preprint) has been accepted at the 10th International Conference on Social Informatics (SocInfo 2018) that is scheduled to take place in Saint Petersburg, Russia on September 25–28.
Title
Fake News As We Feel It: Perception and Conceptualization of the Term ‘Fake News’ in the Media
Authors
Evandro Cunha
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil
Leiden University
Gabriel Magno
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil
Josemar Caetano
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil
Douglas Teixeira
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil
Virgilio Almeida
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil
Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, Harvard University
Source
via arXiv
July 18, 2018
Abstract

In this article, we quantitatively analyze how the term “fake news” is being shaped in news media in recent years. We study the perception and the conceptualization of this term in the traditional media using eight years of data collected from news outlets based in 20 countries. Our results not only corroborate previous indications of a high increase in the usage of the expression “fake news”, but also show contextual changes around this expression after the United States presidential election of 2016. Among other results, we found changes in the related vocabulary, in the mentioned entities, in the surrounding topics and in the contextual polarity around the term “fake news”, suggesting that this expression underwent a change in perception and conceptualization after 2016. These outcomes expand the understandings on the usage of the term “fake news”, helping to comprehend and more accurately characterize this relevant social phenomenon linked to misinformation and manipulation.

Direct to Full Text Paper ||| arXiv Abstract/Info Page
16 pages; PDF.

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