Will truth survive? Fake news is easier to generate, faster to distribute and harder to disprove than ever before. Some wonder how we will get through this rapid escalation of online dishonesty.
Fake news and fantasy: 2023 in misinformation
Ebola rollercoaster: Rumours swarmed online of an Ebola virus outbreak at the Burning Man festival. Glossary
Flourish - Grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way.
Disinformation - False information intended to mislead, including propaganda, which all too often encourages the spread of misinformation, fake news spread by mistake. It is contrasted with misinformation, which may be spread accidentally.
Myriad - A countless or extremely great number of people or things.
Deepfake - Deepfake videos and photos are made using Artificial Intelligence.
Dystopian - Relating to an imagined society where there is great suffering or injustice.
Heyday - The period of a person's or thing's greatest success.
Debunked - Disproved.
Outlandish - Looking or sounding bizarre or unfamiliar.
Kremlin - A central fortress in a city, used to refer to a complex in Moscow with five palaces and four cathedrals. The Russian government is run from within this citadel.
Propagandists - A person who disseminates propaganda.
Unfounded - Having no foundation or basis in fact.
Gaza - The smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Israel and Egypt.
Forged - Copied fraudulently; fake.
Purporting - Appear to be or do something, especially falsely.
Media literacy - The ability to apply critical thinking skills to mass media.