Facebook users struggle to tell truth from fiction

SAN FRANCISCO, USA: Facebook said it is testing a way to let members know when articles posted to the social network are meant to be tongue-in-cheek rather that hand-on-heart postings.
A typically satirical article published by The Onion. Facebook users battle to distinguish between real news and satire, so Facebook is trying to help them. Image:
A typically satirical article published by The Onion. Facebook users battle to distinguish between real news and satire, so Facebook is trying to help them. Image: Genius

Evidently, millions of users of the world's leading social network need a bit of help when it comes to discerning truth from fiction particularly when it is crafted in the form of satire to push boundaries of credulity.

Facebook said they are testing a "satire" tag to go in front of links to satirical articles that pop up in news feeds provided by the organisation.

"This is because we received feedback that people wanted a clearer way to distinguish satirical articles from others in these units," a Facebook spokesman said.

Website LiterallyUnbelievable lists a cornucopia of seemingly serious responses at Facebook to blatantly satirical stories, including pieces from The Onion, which specialises in providing satirical, often funny fake news.

Image: AFT via I-Net Bridge


 
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