Fake news, according to the Urban Dictionary, is the only news Trump loves. On a more serious note, Collins Dictionary defines it as “false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting”. Collins Dictionary revealed Fake News to be the Word of the Year for 2017. In the past decade or two, fake news stories and entire fake news sites have proliferated with the growth of the Internet and social media. Eric Schmidt, the former executive chairman of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, said the Internet was becoming a breeding ground for false information as far back as 2008, according to a an Ad Age report. We know this to be true, and 10 years later, it’s more alarming than ever. There is no doubt that fake news is bad for business. It’s bad for society. It is an existential crisis we can no longer ignore – one that leads to mistrust and divisiveness.  Increasingly, businesses are becoming extremely concerned about their ads being placed on fake news sit...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.