Why journalists should use precise language to counter disinformation

International Journalists’ Network

“Fake news” is probably a term you’ve heard before. In part due to its overwhelming use by former U.S. President Donald Trump during his first year in office, the phrase was even named “word of the year” by Collins Dictionary in 2017.

Inspired by Trump, authoritarian political figures globally have used “fake news” to discredit critical reporting. Perhaps your friends, too, have thrown the term around to question the validity of the sources you read. Some media figures, meanwhile, have used the term literally to refer to what is actually false information or disinformation.

“The term has become so overused that it's lost its punch,” said Jessica Yellin, journalist and founder of News Not Noise. 

To effectively contribute to a democratic society, citizens must understand what goes on around them. Factual news is a key component of that understanding. “People's relationship with the news is critical for them to become engaged citizens of their communities and [to] make really informed decisions about how they live in their cities [and] communities,” said DeMario Phipps-Smith, the News Literacy Project’s senior manager of community learning. 

Journalists have a key role to play in mitigating the harm caused by disinformation, and the language they use is a critical place to start. The use of the term “fake news” can break down overall trust in journalism, even if the term is being used to call out false or misleading information. MORE