What is Fake News exactly? Fake news is just as it sounds: news that is misleading and not based on fact or, simply put, fake...fake news has the intention of disseminating false information, not for comedy, but for consumption."
-Alvarez, Barbara. "Public Libraries in the Age of Fake News." Public Libraries, Nov 2016; 24-7.
No single topic falls under a single category.
For example, false or misleading medical news may be entirely fabricated (Category 1), may intentionally misinterpret facts or misrepresent data (Category 2), may be accurate or partially accurate but use an alarmist title to get your attention (Category 3) or may be a critique on modern medical practice (Category 4.) Some articles fall under more than one category.
Assessing the quality of the content is crucial to understanding whether what you are viewing is true or not. It is up to you to do the legwork to make sure your information is good.
Content from this guide has been adapted from the Indiana University East Fake News Libguide and the Fordham University Library Fake News Libguide.