The Guardian

Could language be the key to detecting fake news? | David Shariatmadari

Purveyors of disinformation can be caught out by the particular words they use, according to new research
‘Is the writing more informal than you’d expect? Does it contain lots of superlatives and emphatic language?’ Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

The internet represents the biggest explosion of data in human history. There’s more out there, and more access to it than ever before. The information ecosystem is a bit like a tropical rainforest: luxuriant, dense and fiercely competitive. As such, it contains its fair share of predators and poisonous plants.

Deliberately misleading articles, websites and social media posts can come about for lots of different reasons: they might be trying to influence elections or policies; they might” that saw a small Macedonian town register more than 150 pro-Trump websites during the 2016 presidential race.

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