Fake News Facts and Statistics for 2024
Last Updated on: January 8th, 2024
Here are a few of the most interesting Fake News facts and statistics I was able to dig up in my internet travels. As always, be sure to check back in the future as I will be updating this post as new and updated stats become available.
In recent years, the term “fake news” has become increasingly common in our daily lexicon. From politics to entertainment, it seems like almost every piece of information we encounter is scrutinized for its accuracy and truthfulness. But what exactly is fake news, and why has it become such a pervasive issue in our society?
Whether you’re a news junkie or simply interested in the impact of media on society, this blog post will provide you with a comprehensive and thought-provoking look at the concept of fake news. So, let’s dive in and explore the world of fake news.
It is worth noting that, for the purposes of this post, I am using the traditional definition of fake news (intentionally made up stories) rather than the recently expanded and muddied definition that both sides of the political spectrum have been using to explain off news reports that don’t favor their side.
Fake News Statistics and Facts:
Percentage of Americans that say fake news is a very big problem in the US:
Last updated 6/5/19
Group most blamed by US adults for creating fake news:
Political leaders and their staff
Last updated 6/5/19
Group most relied upon by US adults for reducing fake news:
Last updated 6/5/19
Percentage of US Adult Republicans that blame journalists for creating fake news:
Last updated 6/5/19
Percentage of US Adult Democrats that blame journalists for creating fake news:
Last updated 6/5/19
Percentage of US adults that have unknowingly shared fake news:
Last updated 6/5/19
Percentage of US adults that have shared fake news despite knowing it was made up:
Last updated 6/5/19
Increase in usage of the term “fake news” in 2017:
“Fake News” was the Collins Word of the Year for 2017.
Percentage of the top-performing fake news stories on Facebook in 2016 that were about US Politics:
Number of shares, reactions and comments on fake news articles about US politics on Facebook in 2016:
Number of shares, comments and reactions for the top performing fake news article on Facebook in 2016:
Research showed that fake news headlines about the 2016 US elections fooled American adults 75% of the time.
Amount that Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, recently donated to fight fake news:
Number of Facebook ads that have been tied back to the Russian entity “Internet Research Agency” between 2015 and 2017:
Estimated number of people that saw fake Russian ads on Facebook during and after the 2016 elections:
Last updated 10/2/17
Amount that fake Facebook advertisers reportedly spent on ads between June 2015 and May 2017:
2018 Mid-Term Election Interference Stats:
- Number of pages Facebook has removed for attempting to interfere in the midterms: 32
- Number of people those pages were followed by: 290,000
- Number of posts on these pages: 9,500
- Amount spent by these pages in ads on Facebook: $11,000
Please note that some of these numbers are easier to find than others. Most of these fun facts come from internet reports and may not be official tallies. No information contained on DMR should be relied upon to make investment decisions. Basically, this is the best I can find and I don’t guarantee anything to be 100%.
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