Finding Fake News Websites in the Wild

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method to identify fake news websites by linking them to social media sharing patterns, validated on Twitter, aiding efforts to combat misinformation.

Contribution

A novel methodology for detecting misinformation websites by analyzing their connection to social media sharing behaviors, validated through Twitter data.

Findings

Effective identification of misinformation websites

Method demonstrates robustness across different contexts

Supports efforts to understand and combat misinformation

Abstract

The battle against the spread of misinformation on the Internet is a daunting task faced by modern society. Fake news content is primarily distributed through digital platforms, with websites dedicated to producing and disseminating such content playing a pivotal role in this complex ecosystem. Therefore, these websites are of great interest to misinformation researchers. However, obtaining a comprehensive list of websites labeled as producers and/or spreaders of misinformation can be challenging, particularly in developing countries. In this study, we propose a novel methodology for identifying websites responsible for creating and disseminating misinformation content, which are closely linked to users who share confirmed instances of fake news on social media. We validate our approach on Twitter by examining various execution modes and contexts. Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology in identifying misinformation websites, which can aid in gaining a better understanding of this phenomenon and enabling competent entities to tackle the problem in various areas of society.