European International Journal of Philological Sciences
102
https://eipublication.com/index.php/eijps
TYPE
Original Research
PAGE NO.
102-106
DOI
OPEN ACCESS
SUBMITED
30 April 2025
ACCEPTED
28 May 2025
PUBLISHED
30 June 2025
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue 06 2025
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License.
Fake Roots and Social
Consequences
Boronov Nazim
Independent Researcher at Uzbekistan State University of World
Languages, Uzbekistan
Abstract
: This article explores the origins, classification,
and social consequences of fake news. It examines how
misinformation has evolved from historical rumors to
modern digital disinformation campaigns. Drawing on
the work of leading researchers, particularly A.P.
Sukhodolov, the paper identifies different types of fakes
based on their structure, intent, and perceived
credibility. It discusses how fake news can be
intentionally or unintentionally produced and highlights
its impact on society, politics, and information trust. The
commercialization of fake content and the use of bots
and troll farms are also addressed as growing challenges
in the digital age. The study emphasizes the importance
of media literacy and critical thinking in combating the
spread of fake news.
Keywords:
Fake news, disinformation, media literacy,
public opinion, bots, troll farms, misinformation,
information manipulation, social networks, digital
media.
Introduction:
Media literacy teaches individuals to
distinguish fake news from real ones. In order to
differentiate a real fact from a “fake,” it is essential to
have a critical approach to information, analyze the
received content, compare it with other sources, and be
able to draw independent conclusions. These
conclusions must be based on good faith, experience,
and knowledge. “Fake news” poses a great danger in
any country and society. Today, the words “fake” and
“fake news” are widely used as modern terms, but the
history of spreading false information goes back a long
way. When discussing the origins of the concept of “fake
news,” it is important to recognize that its roots can be
traced to ancient times.
For example, in the first century BC, Octavian led a
European International Journal of Philological Sciences
103
https://eipublication.com/index.php/eijps
European International Journal of Philological Sciences
disinformation campaign against his rival Mark Antony,
spreading rumors that Mark had become an alcoholic
and was a puppet of Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt [1].
There are many such examples throughout history.
False or fabricated information
—
what we now call
“fake
news”—
has long existed. If not properly studied,
analyzed,
and
prevented
in
today’s
media
environment, it can cause serious negative
consequences and provoke intense public debate.
Before the emergence of journalism as a formal
institution, false information often spread in the form
of rumors among the public. In the development of
oral communication, such information was frequently
used to provoke conflict or serve personal interests.
This oral transmission of fake or misleading content
continues to this day, and its influence is no less
dangerous than that of modern digital fakes. So, who
benefits from creating fake news
—
and why? First and
foremost, fake news is often created to distract the
public from important events or truths. Since the main
goal of disinformation is to manipulate public opinion,
it is often supported or exploited by political actors.
Although the mass media have evolved significantly
over time, the modern term "fake news" gained global
popularity only recently
—
especially around 2016
–
2017. The phrase became widely used during the 2016
U.S. presidential campaign. In fact, in 2017, Britain’s
Collins English Dictionary named “fake news” the Word
of the Year. The phenomenon of fake news was first
studied in-depth by American journalist Sharyl
Attkisson [2], who, in the course of her reporting,
encountered large volumes of disinformation tied to
the U.S. presidential race between Donald Trump and
Hillary Clinton. During the campaign for the next
presidential election in the United States, numerous
scandals emerged surrounding the candidate Donald
Trump. In an effort to divert public attention from the
release of new, potentially damaging revelations about
the businessman's personal life, Michael Flynn, a
candidate for the position of National Security Advisor,
made a sensational post on social media under the title
“Sex Crimes with Children”, allegedly involving
members of the Democratic Party. This was a
deliberate attempt to shift public focus toward the
Democrats and away from Trump's own controversies,
thereby minimizing the negative perception of his
moral character. It was later revealed that this
message was entirely fabricated. Similar examples of
fake news involving high-profile individuals have also
occurred in other regions. For instance, rumors about
the death of Gulnara Karimova, daughter of the first
President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, or the death of
Turkmenistan’s
President
Gurbanguly
Berdimuhamedov, circulated widely on the internet.
However, these reports were soon proven to be false
and classified as deliberate disinformation [3].
Another notable example comes from Syria, where so-
called “fake news” was extensively used as a tool of
manipulation. The purpose behind such manipulation
was to redirect public attention and control collective
perception of events in line with the interests of specific
groups or political actors. In the Syrian context,
disinformation took several forms:
1.
Complete
falsehoods
–
the
deliberate
dissemination of entirely fabricated information;
2.
Partially false information
–
mixing unverified or
false claims with factual reporting to lend credibility;
3.
Lies by omission
–
the intentional withholding of
important facts while presenting a curated narrative
that shapes audience perception in a specific way [3].
The creation of fake news on the internet is also often
motivated by the desire to increase popularity, traffic,
or revenue. For example, when news related to a
celebrity breaks, fans tend to quickly share or comment
on the content. This increased activity boosts the
visibility and profitability of the source
—
regardless of
the truthfulness of the information. Fake news is also
employed for public relations (PR) purposes, such as
artificially boosting an individual’s popularity or
influence. Russian researcher A.P. Sukhodolov defines
fake news as content stylistically designed to resemble
real news but which is wholly or partially false [4].
Similarly, S. N. Ilchenko, in his work “Fake in the Practice
of Electronic Mass Media: Criteria of Credibilit
y”,
describes a fake as a journalistic message published in
the mass media that contains unverified and unreliable
information, which does not correspond to factual or
empirical reality [4]. All researchers agree that the
primary goal of creating and spreading fake news is to
influence public perception and to implant specific ideas
into the minds of the population. Fake news can be
aimed at shaping public opinion about political or social
issues, events, celebrities, or certain individuals or
groups. Importantly, fake news can be created either
intentionally or unintentionally
—
but regardless of
motive, its consequences can be profound and far-
reaching.
Researchers at the London School of Economics and
Politics distinguish six categories of fake news[6]:
1. Foreign interference in local elections through fake
news.
2. Spreading fake news based on advertising traffic for
profit.
3. Parody and satire.
4. Low-quality journalism.
European International Journal of Philological Sciences
104
https://eipublication.com/index.php/eijps
European International Journal of Philological Sciences
5. News that received a fake marker representing a
different ideology.
6. News that question the traditional forms of power
and power relations.
The Russian researcher A.P. Sukhodolov, in his
scientific article “The Phenomenon of Fake News in the
Modern Media Space”, offers an in
-depth analysis of
the fake news phenomenon and classifies such news
based on the ratio of reliable and unreliable
information. According to him, fake news can appear
in different forms: some are entirely fabricated, i.e.,
they consist of completely false information; others
strike a balance between truth and falsehood
—
where
false facts are embedded among reliable information;
and another category includes news based on real
events, but with certain details deliberately distorted
[7].
The researcher also distinguishes fake news based on
the degree of accuracy of time and location indicators
related to the events. Sometimes, real events are
mentioned in news stories but are portrayed as if they
happened recently, even though they occurred in the
past. In other cases, the actual location of the event is
deliberately misrepresented. These distortions are
intended to mislead the audience and steer the
interpretation of the events in a false direction.
Sukhodolov also classifies fake news based on the
people involved in the reports. For instance, some fake
news may include statements issued from fake
accounts, making the false information appear to come
from a trustworthy source. In other cases, a secondary
participant in an event is portrayed as the main figure,
thus distorting the facts. There are also cases where
the news is based on vague or unverified eyewitness
accounts, the authenticity of which is highly
questionable.
The purpose behind creating fake news is also crucial
in Sukhodolov’s classification. He highlights several
motivations for creating and distributing fake news,
such as:
•
attracting audience attention and increasing
viewership;
•
gaining political advantage;
•
discriminating against or defaming certain
social groups;
•
increasing web traffic and generating income
from it;
•
committing fraud to obtain users' money or
other assets;
•
damaging information stored on users’
computers;
•
drawing attention to a particular person,
company, project, or movement;
•
gaining market influence or competitive
advantage in economic activity.
According to Sukhodolov, the level of credibility in fake
news is directly linked to its impact on the audience. He
identifies three main types in this regard:
1.
Clearly fake news, which the audience can
immediately recognize as false;
2.
News that arouses suspicion, prompting the
consumer to verify the information;
3.
Well-crafted fake news, which is so convincingly
forged that its authenticity is rarely questioned
—
making it the most dangerous form of misinformation,
as it is often accepted as real by the general public.
Su
khodolov’s classification reveals the complex, multi
-
layered nature of fake news. His approach is not only
important for analyzing misinformation but also plays a
practical role in developing strategies to counter it. In a
modern society saturated with diverse media sources
and information flows, such scientific frameworks are
crucial for enhancing media literacy.
N
Types of Fake news
Practical examples
1
Clickbait:
sensational
headlines designed to get
clicks and shares, often
leading to misleading or
false articles.
European International Journal of Philological Sciences
105
https://eipublication.com/index.php/eijps
European International Journal of Philological Sciences
2
Propaganda:
Dissemination of false or
misleading
information
with the intent to influence
public
opinion
or
behavior.
3
Conspiracy
theories:
baseless claims that a
powerful
group
or
organization is secretly
controlling events and
manipulating
societal
structures.
4
Satire: Humorous content
that is not meant to be
taken seriously, but can be
misleading
if
not
interpreted as satire.
5
Information
out
of
context: Using a quote or
information out of context
to
support
a
false
narrative.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, researchers unanimously agree that the
primary objective of creating and disseminating fake
news is to manipulate public opinion and embed
specific narratives or ideologies into the collective
mindset of society. Whether politically, socially, or
economically motivated, fake news serves as a powerful
tool for shaping perceptions, altering behaviors, and
European International Journal of Philological Sciences
106
https://eipublication.com/index.php/eijps
European International Journal of Philological Sciences
even influencing democratic processes. Importantly,
fake news can be produced both intentionally
—
with
clear goals such as discrediting individuals or swaying
public
sentiment
—
and
unintentionally,
when
misinformation is spread due to a lack of verification or
poor media literacy. Regardless of intent, the
consequences of such content are far-reaching and
potentially damaging.
Furthermore, cybersecurity and digital risk firms such
as Trend Micro have identified that the dissemination
of fake news has evolved into a profitable industry. On
social media platforms, generating and spreading
disinformation has become a business model in itself,
where engagement metrics such as views, shares, and
clicks are monetized. This has led to the
professionalization of deception, where automated
bots, AI-generated content, and paid teams of human
operators
—commonly known as “troll farms”—
are
employed to mass-produce fake content with high
emotional appeal and viral potential.
Such
organized
manipulation
campaigns
are
particularly dangerous in the digital age, where
algorithms on social networks prioritize engagement
over accuracy, and emotionally charged content
spreads faster than verified information. As a result,
fake news can undermine trust in institutions, polarize
societies, and even incite violence. Therefore,
combating fake news requires a multifaceted
approach: enhancing media literacy, promoting critical
thinking, implementing stronger content moderation
policies, encouraging ethical journalism, and using
advanced technologies like AI for detection and
verification. Only through coordinated efforts
involving governments, tech companies, educators,
journalists, and civil society can the spread of fake
news be effectively countered, ensuring that truth and
integrity remain at the core of public discourse.
REFERENCES
Kaminska, Izabella (January 17, 2017). “A lesson in fake
news from the info-wars of ancient
Rome”. Financial
Times. Financial Times. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
Attkisson Sharyl. The Smear: How Shady Political
Operatives and Fake News Control What You See,
What You Think, and How You Vote. HarperCollins,
2017.
Муратова Н. Fake news: медиада дезинформация
[Матн]: қўлланма / Н. Муратова, Н. Тошпулатова, Г.
Алимова. –
Ташкент: “Innovatsion rivojlanish
nashriyot-
matbaa uyi”, 2020. –Б.104.
Суходолов
А.Феномен»Фейковых
новостей»в
современном медиапространстве // Евроазиатское
сотрудничество: гуманитарные
аспекты. 2017. №1.
URL:
https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/fenomen-
feykovyh-novostey-v-sovremennom-
mediaprostranstve
Ильченко С.Н. (2016). Фейк в практике электронных
СМИ: критерии достоверности // Медиаскоп. № 4.
http://www.mediascope.ru/2237 (дата обращения
23.02.2019)
Суходолов А. П. Феномен»Фейковых новостей»в
современном медиапространстве // Евроазиатское
сотрудничество: гуманитарные аспекты. 2017. №1.
URL:
https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/fenomen-
feykovyh-novostey-v-sovremennom-
mediaprostranstve
