Even in editorial media, not all information is reliable. The term fake news was initially used to describe fabricated and sensationalist news, created to generate clicks and advertising revenue. However, misinformation and disinformation can have different degrees of severity*:

The mildest are parodies and satire.
These are followed by misleading clickbait headlines and illustrations that entice more than they inform.
It is more grave when statistics or images are presented in ways that lead to them being read in one way rather than another.
It is even worse when quotes, numbers, figures, or other information are taken out of context so they are no longer true to their origins.
One is bordering on breaking the law if the origin of something is falsified, for example, by plagiarising. Another example could be to “borrow” the logo of a reputable news channel, placing it on a story to achieve greater authority and dissemination.
Most serious of all is the manipulation and fabrication of information. Fake news falls into this category.

In the TedEd video below, you get an insight into what fake news is and how it spreads:

Video: Tavlin, N. (2015). How false news can spread. TED-Ed. youtube.com

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