Fake news transitions from a profit motive to political weaponization

Evidence

Fake news is not simply news that is false; it is deliberately false. It has been created for a purpose. At the beginning of the 2016 election season, perhaps that purpose was “clickbait.” … In this environment, fake news evolved from clickbait to disinformation. It morphed from a vehicle for financial gain to one for political manipulation. — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 213

Categorization

• DEFINE: Core working definition distinguishing deliberately-false fake news from mere falsehood, with an evolutionary arc.
• QUESTION: Incentive structure worth chasing: under what conditions does clickbait tip into propaganda? Could model this like the Milgrom reputation dynamics.
• XREF: connects to: The New York Times rose by serving a niche market of wealthy readers — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 209; The phrase fake news is ascribed to whichever outlet is politically opposed — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 723; Paid digital mobs were a cheap, high-return political tactic worldwide — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and…, 698 (+4 more)