NEWS? ENTERTAINMENT? DON’T MIX THEM UP

Research from Ohio State University has shown there’s a price to pay when you get your news and political information from the same place you find funny memes and dancing cat pictures, new research suggests. The study found that people viewing a blend of news and entertainment on a social media site tended to pay less attention to the source of content they consumed – meaning they could easily mistake satire, fiction or fake news for real news. The findings highlight the dangers of people obtaining their news from sites like Facebook or Twitter, said study author George Pearson, a senior lecturer and research associate in communication at The Ohio State University. People who viewed content that was clearly separated into categories -- such as current affairs and entertainment -- didn’t have the same issues evaluating the source and credibility of content they consumed.