Falling For Fake News In The Post-Truth Era

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Fake news isn't a new problem, as exhibited by this illustration from 1894. / Wikimedia Commons

Why do so many of us fall for fake news? Nearly 1 in 4 Americans admit they've shared fake political news stories on line, according to the Pew Research Center. Some of them said they did it despite knowing the information was false. On Second Thought's Virginia Prescott speaks with Bart Wojdynski and Daniel Funke.

Bart Wojydnski, an assistant professor of journalism at the University of Georgia, spoke with us about how people judge the credibility of what they read, and what signs to look for when searching for the truth. 
 
Daniel Funke, a fact-checking reporter at the Poynter Institute, also took us inside the minds of online trolls and explained what social media giants like Facebook are doing to verify stories circulating the network.