Fake news: much ado about nothing?

Social media has become a major driving force in politics especially among urban youth and political groups that use the digital space to drive their agenda.

Social media is changing the political landscape in the political campaigns even as propaganda, conspiracy, bias and yellow journalism threaten to sully progress.

“What is this?” a Facebook user posted on Abraham Lincoln’s wall when photographic campaign badges were first unleashed in 1860. “Today’s youth are doomed,” the comment added. A moment later, a question was posed: “You call this news?”* Fast forward, 2017. Early this week, the tweeting president Donald Trump was at it again with his fake news lash-outs after social media went hard on him for the decision to have his daughter sit in for him during part of the G20 summit. Seemingly distressed, the American president attacked the media saying “fake news” organisations would have treated another president’s daughter differently.