Since the start of the year, Australia’s demand for news has surged. Nearly half of a group of participants surveyed by the News and Media Research Centre, get their news online. However, the first six months of 2020 have been defined by immense change, and a rise in ‘fake news,’ according to Anne Kruger, Australia-Pacific lead for global fact-checker First Draft News. Kruger explains, in respect to a spike in fake news surrounding COVID-19, that: “Coronavirus is easy, because there’s so much fear that can be tapped into.” Likewise, as technology develops, fake news is getting more sophisticated. However, to stamp out misinformation, Kruger recommends looking at the language being used, going beyond our tendency to share content that evokes an emotional reaction, and looking at ‘who’ is the person sharing and ‘what’ have they posted or shared in the past.

To read more about how to tackle this issue go to ABC’s The Drum