Report finds surge in anti-Burnham fake news on Makerfield Facebook groups
6 reported
A report from the Social Market Foundation thinktank has documented a significant increase in hostile, fake news about Labour candidate Andy Burnham circulating on local Facebook groups during the Makerfield by-election campaign. The SMF analyzed over 1,800 posts across four local Facebook groups with 66,000 total members, finding that the share of news posts classified as misinformation jumped from 4% before the by-election was called to 16% during the campaign. The report notes that nearly half of Britons (46%) now seek local news through social media, and over a third (34%) use local social media groups for this purpose. In one group, 5 of the top 10 posts were misinformation, and in another, 8 of the top 25 were misinformation. Theo Bertram, director of the SMF, stated that voters in Makerfield are being exposed to harmful misinformation at an even greater intensity than seen elsewhere in the UK, and called for stronger enforcement from tech companies and sustained investment in local news. The report is part of a larger SMF study on social media’s impact on politics, and follows an earlier SMF report that found fake news is three times as common in places without proper local journalism.
What’s reported
The Social Market Foundation analyzed over 1,800 posts across four local Facebook groups with 66,000 members.
Misinformation share in those groups rose from 4% before the by-election to 16% during the campaign.
In one group, 5 of the top 10 posts were misinformation; in another, 8 of the top 25 were misinformation.
Nearly half of Britons (46%) seek local news through social media, and over a third (34%) use local social media groups.
Theo Bertram, SMF director, said voters in Makerfield are exposed to harmful misinformation at greater intensity than elsewhere in the UK.
The report is part of a larger SMF study; an earlier SMF report said fake news is three times as common in places without proper local journalism.
Key figures
Andy Burnham, Labour candidate in the Makerfield by-election
Theo Bertram, director of the Social Market Foundation
Sources: The Guardian
