Impact of Fake News on Platform Performance through Celebrities and Gen Z

Abstract

In today’s fast-moving world of digital journalism, social media platforms like Twitter (X), Facebook, and YouTube have become central to how news is discovered, shared, and consumed. While these platforms make it easier to access breaking news and public reactions in real time, they also bring new challenges, particularly in separating accurate information from fake or misleading content. This study focuses on how journalists identify and verify authentic news amid the rapid spread of misinformation online. Drawing insights from the European Union’s Social Sensor Project, it explores how user-centered digital tools can help journalists filter, track, and confirm the reliability of social media content. The findings highlight the need to integrate technology with human judgment, combining algorithms that assess influencer credibility and content authenticity with journalistic experience and ethical awareness. Overall, the study concludes that improving news verification requires a collaborative approach connecting journalism, data science, and social research to build more effective and trustworthy digital news environments.

Keywords: Fake News, Performance, Celebrities, Gen Z.