The necessity of adopting a media literacy approach in light of fake news Between necessity and inevitability

Abstract

This scientific article seeks to provide a conceptual background to the phenomenon of fake news and to examine the discussion of the term, which has become a major challenge for journalism today, and to research its effects on the individual, society and the media. It also follows the historical chronology of the emergence of fake news in an attempt to answer several questions concerning the challenges resulting from the spread of this phenomenon and its growth, especially in times of crisis, without neglecting the effects and the role of social media in its development. We relied on the document analysis method based on our approach to collect the data necessary for the analysis; his approach provides qualitative data by analyzing the data available in other researches and studies in the context of new approaches, this explains the multiplicity and diversity of the references used on this paper. One of the most important results of the analysis is that the phenomenon of fake news is very complex, especially after its association with digital contexts as an interwoven and intertwined system of fabrication and composition that intertwine in its weaving communication, social, psychological, technological, cognitive, informational, security, political and others.To conclude, it is necessary to join forces to fight against this growing phenomenon, by including media education it in school curricula and public debate, and adapt the current media environment based on the results of media analytics studies.