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Analysis: In the US, the number of fake news sites on the Internet, higher than serious media sites

2024-06-21 07:57:48Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Analysis: In the US, the number of fake news sites on the Internet, higher than

The number of fake content sites online masquerading as news sites already outnumbers legitimate domestic media sites, and Russia is playing its part in the increase, media analysts say.

Research by disinformation watchdog NewsGuard shows there is an increase in sites known for circulating low-quality content or disinformation.

These websites are usually created by one-sided entities, or those that produce content designed to attract readers to paid material that brings in profit, NewsGuard says. According to this watchdog organization, the use of technology and artificial intelligence has enabled the increase of such sites.

McKenzie Sadeghi, NewsGuard's artificial intelligence and foreign influence editor, told VOA that the increased numbers are a grim development that could pose a threat to press freedom and the US presidential election. This further contributes to the decline in trust in online media, she says.

"The number of these sites has increased, as has the size, range and sophistication," Ms Sadeghi said. "The number that is already registered, of 1265 pages, exceeds the number of daily newspapers in the United States. This is alarming."


According to another project, the Medill Initiative for Local News, part of Northwestern University's School of Journalism, the number of legitimate local news sites in the United States has fallen to an all-time low of 1,213. local news organizations across the country," said Tim Franklin, director of this project. "Over half of the counties in the United States are already news deserts, or have only limited access to local news."

So-called "news deserts" are vast geographic areas where communities have little or no access to information. Two of the factors contributing to this decline are declining profits and declining audiences.

"I think such cynical actors who manage these operations understand that the business model of local news media around the country is collapsing," Mr. Franklin said.

"They will try to fill the void created by the loss of legitimate local sites," he added. "I think we will be hit by a tsunami of misinformation and misinformation."

Ms. Sadeghi said that over 150 Russian-backed sites are contributing to the proliferation of fake news.

"These sites rely heavily on artificial intelligence to produce their content," Ms Sadeghi said. "For everything from text, images and logos. They are widely spread on social media and people are fooled into thinking that they are normal and trusted local publications."

One of the key players for the Russian-backed sites, the NewsGuard organization says, is John Mark Dougan, a former sheriff's deputy from Florida who fled to Moscow in 2016 to escape criminal charges in the United States. The NewsGuard organization says that all 167 sites on the Russian network appear to be linked to Mr Dougan.

According to NewsGuard, Mr. Dougan lives under the protection of the Kremlin and promotes fake American news sites, with names like the DC Weekly and the Boston Times.

The Center for Media Analysis at Clemson University was able to attribute authorship of the DCWeekly.org site to Mr. Dougan in Moscow by tracing his computer's IP address. This center also says that the site in question is most likely supported by the Russian government.

The NewsGuard organization says that when it asked Mr Dougan about the websites, he denied involvement.

"This Russian news laundering scheme may be an example of how influence operations will play out in the future," a 2023 report by Clemson University's Center for the Media wrote.

"Artificial intelligence and other digital technologies enable these same malicious actors to create fake systems and organizations, entire publications that, if not scrutinized, appear to lend credence to even the most absurd versions," the report says.

Mr. Franklin believes that the increase in these fake news sites has something to do with the approaching presidential election in the United States.

"We may have a toxic mix of misinformation and disinformation in the fall," he said. "And in a volume that has never been seen and that gives me great concern for the elections this fall."

Ms. Sadeghi also thinks that the sole purpose of these new sites is to influence the elections in the United States.

"The last time they had an increase, it was for the 2022 mid-term elections," said Mrs. Sadeghi. "They multiply again during election years and increase in size and range, to influence voters and empower candidates"./VOA


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