"Fake News!": The 5 Ws and More: Definition of Terms

This selected (alphabetical) list is adapted from Stony Brook University's Digital Resources Center Glossary: The Language of News Literacy 

Advertising: the act of disseminating information (usually visual) for the purpose of selling products and/or services

Bias: in favor (or against) a particular idea, person, or thing, based on one's personal feelings. 

Clickbait: a form of false advertisement whose main purpose is to encourage users to follow a link to a web page. Clickbait often provides links that misrepresent itself and take users to links that generate advertising revenue for the number of clicks received.

Confirmation Bias: The tendency to confirm information based on one's preexisting beliefs.

Disinformation: the deliberate dissemination of false or inaccurate information in order to discredit a person or organization. 

Fake News: the intentional falsification and fabrication of news-based information with the purpose to harm and deceive people.

Hoax: something intended to deceive or defraud

Information: the presentation of facts about a subject.

Misinformation: the sharing of inaccurate and misleading information in an unintentional way.

Parody: any humorous, satirical, or burlesque imitation, as of a person, event, etc. 

Propaganda: information deliberately spread to influence or raise awareness to a particular political cause or value position. Propaganda may resemble advertisements since both are highly visual, but propaganda does not engage in selling products or services.

Satire:  the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or humor, in the spread of information.