The Washington Post Tracked Facebook's Trending Topics For 3 Weeks, Found 5 Fake Stories and 3 Inaccurate Articles (washingtonpost.com)

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The Washington Post Tracked Facebook's Trending Topics For 3 Weeks, Found 5 Fake Stories and 3 Inaccurate Articles (washingtonpost.com)

Posted by msmash on Wednesday October 12, 2016 @07:50AM from the fault-in-our-algorithm dept.

An alarming number of people rely on social media, including and especially Facebook, for news. Over the past few months, we have seen how Facebook's Trending Topics feature is often biased, and moreover, how sometimes fake news slips through its filter. The Washington Post monitored the website for over three weeks and found that Facebook is still struggling to get its algorithm right. From the report: The Megyn Kelly incident was supposed to be an anomaly. An unfortunate one-off. A bit of (very public, embarrassing) bad luck. But in the six weeks since Facebook revamped its Trending system -- and a hoax about the Fox News Channel star subsequently trended -- the site has repeatedly promoted "news" stories that are actually works of fiction. As part of a larger audit of Facebook's Trending topics, the Intersect logged every news story that trended across four accounts during the workdays from Aug. 31 to Sept. 22. During that time, we uncovered five trending stories that were indisputably fake and three that were profoundly inaccurate (Editor's note: the link could be paywalled; alternate source). On top of that, we found that news releases, blog posts from sites such as Medium and links to online stores such as iTunes regularly trended. Facebook declined to comment about Trending on the record. "I'm not at all surprised how many fake stories have trended," one former member of the team that used to oversee Trending told the Post. "It was beyond predictable by anyone who spent time with the actual functionality of the product, not just the code."The Post adds that "there's no guarantee" that it was able to catch every hoax, since it looked at Trending feature only once every hour.

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Well... by Anonymous Coward · 2016-10-12 07:32 · Score: 5, Insightful

The feature is called "Trending", not "Factual News". If I photoshop a picture of my cat flying a jet and it goes viral... it's trending. That doesn't mean he's actually flying the jet.
Here's some news for you... Satire can be popular.
1. Re: Well... by Anonymous Coward · 2016-10-12 07:34 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  You know what's never trending? Hillarys crimes. It's because the media won't let it.
2. Re:Well... by Anonymous Coward · 2016-10-12 09:36 · Score: 1
  
  And here's some, seemingly, news for you .. Satire is not news.
3. Re: Well... by phantomfive · 2016-10-12 14:25 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Bro, look at what is literally trending right now.
  
  --
  "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
4. Re:Well... by syn3rg · 2016-10-13 06:03 · Score: 1
  
  the washington post was just miffed that it wasn't their fake/inaccurate stories trending...
  
  --
  The contents of this message have been doubly encrypted by ROT13
And yet no Hillary email stories by Anonymous Coward · 2016-10-12 07:33 · Score: 1, Insightful

Funny how that works, how she can commit crimes and the media chooses to ignore her evil ways.
1. Re:And yet no Hillary email stories by Anonymous Coward · 2016-10-12 08:51 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Holy Fuck.
  RICHARD GOD DAMNED ARTITAGE IS THE LEAKER YOU ASSHOLE!
  You God Damned stupid fuck.
  I know...you are only 12 and your mommy is babysitting you with the computer
  Fucking stupid asshole.
2. Re:And yet no Hillary email stories by Jhon · 2016-10-12 08:52 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  ...just wow.
  The only "criminal act" with regards to your post is your misrepresentation of facts and documented history.
3. Re:And yet no Hillary email stories by budgenator · 2016-10-13 02:22 · Score: 1
  
  I'm starting to think that it's Facebook Demographics, running wild. Half of the "suggested stories" I get have malicious popups, 90% have the same addverts for pure click-bait sites and 3/4 are blatant plagiarism. For a while I thought some kind of liberal conspriacy, then I found my Liberal freinds thought it was a conservative conspiracy and realized it was just predatory marketers screwing both. A surprising percentage of the sponsored posts on facebook have set off my antivirus.
  Facebook is struggling to maintain relevancy, you'd think they would put more effort into not alienating their dwindleing userbase.
  
  --
  Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
4. Re:And yet no Hillary email stories by ganjadude · 2016-10-13 02:57 · Score: 2
  
  well hold on now..... maybe he pulled it off facebook trending????
  
  --
  have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
Vice Versa by Anonymous Coward · 2016-10-12 07:34 · Score: 1

I wonder what a similar analysis on the Washington Post would show.
1. Re:Vice Versa by unrtst · 2016-10-12 07:44 · Score: 1
  
  They're both (the Washington Post and Facebook) doing better than top two US candidates.
And how about the Washington Post? by XxtraLarGe · 2016-10-12 07:36 · Score: 4, Funny

Did they have any fake or inaccurate stories over the same period of time? How many corrections did they have to make? The New York Times had to make two corrections to an article about Gary Johnson's Aleppo gaffe on the same day.

--
Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
1. Re:And how about the Washington Post? by XxtraLarGe · 2016-10-12 07:38 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Correction: Oops, it was 3 corrections. My bad.
  
  --
  Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
2. Re:And how about the Washington Post? by Anonymous Coward · 2016-10-12 08:26 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  In this case the question is quite relevant. The Washington Post is slamming Facebook for publishing false or inaccurate stories; it's in their business interest to drive people away from FB and back to "real" media outlets. So why not ask if the Post is really better than FB?
  The question is also very timely. The Washington Post has been publishing a constant stream of Trump-bashing stories and a constant stream of Clinton excuses. They are in no position to be tossing bricks at Facebook's news feed.
3. Re:And how about the Washington Post? by Anonymous Coward · 2016-10-12 08:26 · Score: 1
  
  I love the juvenile attempts to fact check and record correct by the US media. You can't make this shit up.
  https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/785299709342654465
4. Re:And how about the Washington Post? by Anonymous Coward · 2016-10-12 08:47 · Score: 1
  
  How about a nice cup of STFU? The kindergarten defence (Steve did it too!) does not work, not even when you're in kindergarten. Seeing supposedly grown-ups use the same tactics is depressing, it means they have literally not learned a thing ever, not even back in kindergarten. Makes it kind of clear they're just worthless trash who never have anything worthwhile to say.
  Facebook can't compete with the Washington Post's history of fake stories, what with Janet Cooke and all.
  Of course, neither of them even come close to The New York Times, where Jayson Blair was a piker compared to Walter Duranty's whitewashing of Stalin's kulak genocide.
  So WHO needs to STFU?
  That would be YOU.
Wot? by nospam007 · 2016-10-12 07:37 · Score: 2

Stupid, fake news and racist trolling trends on Facebook?
Say it ain't so.
SEO by ewhac · 2016-10-12 07:48 · Score: 1

You do realize, of course, that there exists an entire "industry" devoted to manipulating automated search systems to push snake oil and all manner of other bullshit in to your face. Once you remove the human element to identify and remove the obvious garbage, what you're left with is what the armies of trolls are furiously clicking on throughout the night.

--
Editor, A1-AAA AmeriCaptions
Ironic by Anonymous Coward · 2016-10-12 07:54 · Score: 1, Interesting

Kind of ironic coming from WashPo which basically has become a PR outlet for the DNC
Says Hillary Propaganda arm Washington Post by bongey · 2016-10-12 07:57 · Score: 2, Informative

Hillary has created the most effective propaganda arm ever made.
Hillary Propaganda Divisions ABC,NBC,CBS,CNN, NYT, Bumberg, Huffy Post, NewYanker, Politicon, Politifalsehoods, Last Twit Tonight,Washington Post
https://theintercept.com/2016/...
http://www.americanthinker.com...
http://dcleaks.com/emails/cApR...
1. Re:Says Hillary Propaganda arm Washington Post by neo-mkrey · 2016-10-12 08:40 · Score: 1
  
  You loose credibility when you make fun of the names of the news outlets you are trying to impugn.
2. Re:Says Hillary Propaganda arm Washington Post by mentil · 2016-10-12 08:44 · Score: 1
  
  I saw you linking those articles the other day, and read the Intercept one. The leak doesn't prove that the entire mainstream media is in bed with Hillary, following her every command. It shows that one journalist would reliably write articles on provided topics about Hillary, and not always in a completely favorable light. It also says that Hillary had an off-the-record get-together with various members of the press, before she announced her bid for the presidency. Probably, the journalists wanted to know if she was actually going to run and what her platform was going to be. They weren't necessarily forming a secret society dedicated to conspiring to create blatantly biased propaganda in favor of Hillary's campaign, and the leak provides no evidence that any such thing happened or was intended. The Intercept article I read also pointed out that McCain did the exact same thing during his presidential campaign, inviting journalists to an off-the-record dinner. Notice that there were no Fox News journalists invited; Hillary's campaign manager probably only invited journalists they already thought would be likely to give her favorable press; the bias existed long before this private dinner.
  
  --
  Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
3. Re:Says Hillary Propaganda arm Washington Post by sycodon · 2016-10-12 08:57 · Score: 1, Interesting
  
  So the Paid Hillary Trolls are on Slashdot now.
  Damned Shame.
  
  --
  When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
4. Re:Says Hillary Propaganda arm Washington Post by Kurrelgyre · 2016-10-12 09:18 · Score: 1
  
  If you organization has "American", "America's", or "Patriot" in its name or in how it describes itself, I'm automatically skeptical. Those aren't qualities you can just lay claim to. They come from how the rest of us see you.
5. Re:Says Hillary Propaganda arm Washington Post by LynnwoodRooster · 2016-10-12 09:41 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  On the other hand, Hillary! and The Rapist Bill have made over $119 million since 2000, allthe while Hillary! was in either the Senate or the Cabinet. And as Harry Truman famously quoted: No man can get rich in politics unless he's a crook. It cannot be done. So who's wrong there? Was ol' Harry wrong about politics being a game that only financially rewards the corrupt, or are Hillary! and the Rapist Bill crooks?
  
  --
  Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
6. Re:Says Hillary Propaganda arm Washington Post by mnemotronic · 2016-10-12 11:04 · Score: 1
  
  And if any of those organizations were promoting trump you'd be declaring them the be unassailable bastions of goodness, purity and sanity. Face it, you're letting your fear cloud your judgement.
  
  --
  The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
7. Re:Says Hillary Propaganda arm Washington Post by bongey · 2016-10-12 11:20 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  You really are repeating the echo camber of propaganda that hillary has created and didn't read anything. I posted a story for Glenn Greenwald and you called in right wing. You are fucking insane if Glenn Greenwald is right wing now.
  The media is one of the strongest weapons in showing the world the devastating effects of corruption and shining a light on those who would use their entrusted power for personal gain. An independent and free media is a cornerstone of democracy and a crucial component of a healthy governance system.
  Glenn Greenwald( Pulitzer prize winner) hates trump and hillary both but at least he is ethical.
  Glenn Greenwald found ABC,NBC,CBS,CNN, NYT,Bumberg,HuffyPost,NewYanker,Politico, New Yanker taking marching orders from the Clinton Campaign.
  https://theintercept.com/2016/...
  Clinton has corrupted this and turned it into a propaganda arm for her campaign.
  This should scare the hell out of the american people if they know their history.
  I was voting for Hillary until I found this out it is worse than anything Trump has done.
  Trump makes we want to vomit but he would last 4 years and it would clean out the political system a bit. Think off it as a cleanse, nasty going down but it cleans out all the crap.
  I am voting Trump, not because I like him, he makes me vomit, but because the press will do their job, to find government corruption. We will have a health democracy with Trump. If Trump goes 2 dollars over on expense report it will be front page news for a week. Hillary nope, she will tell them what to write. Trump will last 4 years but the crap will be gone.
  Also here are some more fun ones.
  Funny how they came out yesterday saying wikileaks was propaganda, notice how all of the above repeated it, like good little hillary youth.
  https://theintercept.com/2016/...
  Washington Post shilling for Hillary.
  http://www.americanthinker.com...
  Hillary Clinton public and private opinion : wall street and lobbyist ended slavery She lies about lying. That what she we actually saying. Read actual leak, not her lies.
  Nope it is a Fox anchor. You guys will be crying about the moderator.
  Obama likes to expose himself.Go check out his 'Agent' as they call it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
8. Re:Says Hillary Propaganda arm Washington Post by grcumb · 2016-10-12 13:53 · Score: 1
  
  I saw you linking those articles the other day, and read the Intercept one. The leak doesn't prove that the entire mainstream media is in bed with Hillary, following her every command.
  Maybe I can shed a little light here, as a professional journalist who often talks off the record with people in positions of power.
  The question you should be asking is not whether so-and-so has a friendly relationship with Candidate X. The question is, what is the effect of that relationship on their reporting? And lest you think that I'm siding with the reporters on this one... don't. I see a far-too-common tendency among reporters to shy away from criticising people with whom they have a relationship. I also see a not-as-common tendency among reporters to assume that they are required to maintain an adversarial relationship with politicians and others in positions of power.
  As with all things, 95% of everything is crap. If you seek out the 5% who really do a decent job of reporting, though, you'll see some fine—and reputable—journalism.
  Good old-fashioned scepticism just doesn't seem to cut it any more. I actually took comfort from the fact that even though the Clinton team could rely on Maggie Haberman to write a story... but could not rely on her to portray the story the way they wanted. That's pretty much how journalism is designed. Of course it's worthwhile to write about Clinton's vetting process; it's noteworthy and in the public interest. And as long as it's written in a properly sceptical (but not cynical) frame, it's worth reading, too.
  I have a lot of time for Greenwald. He's a quality journalist. But in my opinion he often confuses his own cynicism with honest and fair scepticism. But that's praising with faint damns. Even the best journos should be read through a context filter.
  
  --
  Crumb's Corollary: Never bring a knife to a bun fight.
9. Re:Says Hillary Propaganda arm Washington Post by budgenator · 2016-10-13 02:49 · Score: 1
  
  Your giving her too much credit, it takes a village after all; she just fine-tuned an existing infra-structure.
  
  --
  Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
Solution by codeButcher · 2016-10-12 07:58 · Score: 2

I am glad that I am not caught out by this. I go to serious, bona fide news websites to get my news. They are always objective, accurate, impartial, don't put some slant on stories, and above all, do not ignore some stories that I think are important.
So let's see how many whooshes this piece of sarcasm creates...

--
Free, as in your money being freed from the confines of your account.
1. Re:Solution by Cro+Magnon · 2016-10-12 08:19 · Score: 2
  
  I like slashdot for news. If someone posts lies, a slew of people call "bullshit". Of course a slew of people also call "bullshit" when they post the truth. :p
  
  --
  Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
2. Re:Solution by codeButcher · 2016-10-12 19:42 · Score: 1
  
  Whooosh, whoosh number one!
  
  --
  Free, as in your money being freed from the confines of your account.
Bogiousity Astounds.... by avandesande · 2016-10-12 08:09 · Score: 4, Insightful

So how many stories total did they track? Is 5 stories half the stories? Is it 5% of the stories? Without context '5 stories' is meaningless.

--
love is just extroverted narcissism
1. Re:Bogiousity Astounds.... by jrumney · 2016-10-13 12:32 · Score: 1
  
  Facebook is about providing a personal echo chamber experience to each user. If a Washington Post journalist gets a lot of fake news stories in their personalized feed, what does that say about the Washington Post?
Facebook is entertainment, not news by QuietLagoon · 2016-10-12 08:18 · Score: 2, Interesting

Facebook is entertainment, not news
Facebook is entertainment, not news
Facebook is entertainment, not news
(/. won't let me repeat that as many times as I had wanted to...)
1. Re:Facebook is entertainment, not news by Cro+Magnon · 2016-10-12 08:40 · Score: 1
  
  TBF, most news is also entertainment.
  
  --
  Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
2. Re:Facebook is entertainment, not news by phantomfive · 2016-10-12 18:38 · Score: 1
  
  News is entertainment, not news.
  If it were news, it would be boring.
  
  --
  "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
3. Re:Facebook is entertainment, not news by rsmith-mac · 2016-10-13 01:34 · Score: 1
  
  Facebook is entertainment, not news
  
  It's not about what it's designed for, it's about how it's used. And people are increasingly treating whatever trends at Facebook as actual news.
  Facebook is news if enough of the population treats it as such.
It's like a mirror by Anonymous Coward · 2016-10-12 08:36 · Score: 1, Informative

It would only be news if WaPo ran an expose on their biased reporting, see
http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2016/10/11/wikileaks-eilperin-warning-podesta/
Everyone knows faceplant's news is crap but WaPo isn't that much better in terms of integrity.
Wait. by fropenn · 2016-10-12 08:42 · Score: 2

There were accurate, real news stories posted on Facebook? I must have the wrong friends.
Summary is exaggerating by MobyDisk · 2016-10-12 08:44 · Score: 4, Interesting

I hate to defend Facebook here, but if you RTFA, you will see that some of the supposed "fake" and "inaccurate" articles were actually spoofs. People posted them because they were funny. That's like stopping by The Onion and complaining that the news is biased and inaccurate.
1. Re:Summary is exaggerating by MobyDisk · 2016-10-12 12:14 · Score: 1
  
  Which is fine, right up until the point where I go to news.google.com and start seeing Onion headlines there sourced directly from the Onion.
  Which didn't happen.
  
  If you're labeling it "news", you really should be making some rudimentary effort to filter out that kind of material.
  They didn't label it news. The summary says it was labeled "Trending Topics."
2. Re:Summary is exaggerating by geekmux · 2016-10-12 20:10 · Score: 1
  
  Which is fine, right up until the point where I go to news.google.com and start seeing Onion headlines there sourced directly from the Onion.
  Which didn't happen.
  
  If you're labeling it "news", you really should be making some rudimentary effort to filter out that kind of material.
  They didn't label it news. The summary says it was labeled "Trending Topics."
  Unless the ongoing, undying topic to "trend" is lying, Facebook should start labeling their bullshit generator what it is.
An 'alarming number of people' ARE DUMB by Anonymous Coward · 2016-10-12 08:44 · Score: 1

Why are you fools still using Facebook (or FAILbook, which I think is more accurate)? It's BAD for your life overall. Dump Facebook!
Seriously... by JustNiz · 2016-10-12 08:56 · Score: 3, Insightful

...anybody that chooses Facebook as their primary news source deserves all they get, including ridicule.
1. Re:Seriously... by eaglesrule · 2016-10-13 04:58 · Score: 1
  
  Same with Google News. Lately, only Trump bashing or Clinton praising editorials dominate the top stories. But I'm sure it is just a coincidence, after all, Google says trust them and that they are not using their position as a major news aggregator to influence public opinion.
2. Re:Seriously... by JustNiz · 2016-10-13 07:02 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah I'm VERY disillusioned with the (total lack of) integrity of ALL the mainstream US media.
  I mean its always been known that the big media are biassed, MSNBC, Fox, WaPo etc have always made that clear, however this election has proven that ALL the mainstream media has absolutely no moral scruples and have all completely and utterly sold out to the left.
3. Re:Seriously... by eaglesrule · 2016-10-13 09:53 · Score: 1
  
  You have to consider who controls the media companies, and that they benefit from the status quo and not journalistic integrity. Now factor in who is (and was) running as the anti-establishment candidate, it seems to me that it isn't just a matter of left-leaning ideology. For example, look at the treatment Sanders received by the media. Since we're talking about the Washington post, here is an example where they ran 16 negative stories on Sanders in one hour. I can't imagine anyone more leftist than Sanders, but I can imagine that you can't have someone in a position of power that could threaten treaties like the TPP being made law, and possibly set back the consolidation of power of the ultra wealthy by eight years. So Sanders was smeared in the press, and now the hyperbolic anti-Trump attacks have reached a fever pitch.
  
  They're ringing the bell because it seems as if a good portion of the public act just like Pavlovian dogs.
4. Re:Seriously... by JustNiz · 2016-10-13 10:51 · Score: 1
  
  You're right. I guess my real frustration is with (apparently the vast majority of) the sheeple that can't see through this shit, even though its blatant.
Ok by XSportSeeker · 2016-10-12 09:15 · Score: 1

I know that pilling up on Facebook is the new trend now, but just so people know, that number can't be much different from several news portals, blogs and other social networks that are being used as news sources nowadays.
Facebook shouldn't be considered a source for reliable news, but several other portals also shouldn't in the very same way.
Arguably, traditional media is just on the same page, as they'll often use Internet sources for their news too nowadays.
So, in the end, the recommendation stays the same. Consult multiple independent sources first, and take everything you read with a grain of salt.
Washington Post envious of Facebook Trending by sbrown123 · 2016-10-12 09:25 · Score: 2

Washington Post monitors Facebook Trending for three weeks and find it is working better than the Washington Post. Journalist scramble to discredit system out of fear of being replaced.
Uhh Rupert Murdoch would like to have a word by gatfirls · 2016-10-12 09:34 · Score: 1

...give credit where it is due. Love it or hate it FNC has perfected the art of propaganda in the US media.
Control by postglock · 2016-10-12 09:38 · Score: 1

Where's the control? How many fake and inaccurate stories are published by other media?
5 out of how many? by GuB-42 · 2016-10-12 09:48 · Score: 1

An absolute number like "5" or "8" is meaningless. Even the most serious newspapers get hoaxed or lie sometimes.
The only thing I found in TFA is this:

Our results shouldn’t be taken as conclusive: Since Facebook personalizes its trends to each user, and we tracked results only during work hours, there’s no guarantee that we caught every hoax. But the observation that Facebook periodically trends fake news still stands — if anything, we’ve underestimated how often it occurs.
You said it : inconclusive. What is important is the ratio. If you reviewed 20 articles and 5 are fake, that's horrible. If it is 5 out of 500, it needs improvement but it is not so bad.
Except the 9/11 story wasn't fake by Anonymous Coward · 2016-10-12 11:00 · Score: 1

I believe it linked to a story that linked to the real scientific evidence of 9/11
THIS is what had the washington post brainwashed misinformed up in arms.. the truth actually trending, instead of some useless fluff story or propaganda.
Re:Here are some real stories by mnemotronic · 2016-10-12 11:17 · Score: 2

Let's get this party rolling .....

Hillary is personally responsible for the Samsung Note explosions.
The DNC created the Zika virus using genetic engineering and released it on Republican retirement central, aka Florida.
One of Bill Clinton's secret babies is the leader of ISIS.
The Republican leaders who have abandoned, ignored or rejected Trump are being paid off by Putin
Hillary's first official act as President would be to appoint Barak Obama as Ultra Supreme Over-Justice of the Supreme Court. This will be a new position which has ultimate veto or approval power over any court decision.

Sorry, out of time here. Back to regular day job at Fox...

--
The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
Re:Here are some real stories by budgenator · 2016-10-13 02:31 · Score: 1

Let's get this party rolling .....
The Republican leaders who have abandoned, ignored or rejected Trump are being paid off by Putin...
BS, everybody knows George Soros paid them off so his sock-puppet Hillary wins, Putin only likes Trump on an "Enemy of my Enemy" basis.

--
Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
What the headline should have said by micahraleigh · 2016-10-13 05:30 · Score: 1

Rival extensions of the DNC disguised as news point fingers at how terribly sourced their content is
facebook? by LePereZg · 2016-10-13 07:55 · Score: 1

LePereZg:~$ apropos facebook
facebook: nothing appropriate.