What’s new about ‘fake news’? Critical digital literacies in an era of fake news, post-truth and clickbait

Abstract

The 2016 Facebook fake news scandal has highlighted the difficulty in determining the credibility and reliability of news. As a result, there have been calls for individuals to adopt a more informed and critical stance toward the sources of their news. This paper considers what might be involved in cultivating critical digital literacies in an era of post-truth, fake news and clickbait. Using the platform as the framework for study, the paper examines how the architecture, algorithms and network effects of the platform have changed the way news is created and disseminated, and how audiences are positioned to engage with it. This theoretical critique provides insight into the technical, political and social issues surrounding how individuals engage with online news.