Online news organizations are purposely spreading fake news for traffic: study http://t.co/Of3AFa5UCI

— Kragar (@Kragar_LGF) February 15, 2015

even if much of the fake news is spread by “new media” or tabloid journals, the traditional or “quality” journalism outlets often sit by, allowing rumors to gain traction.

“When (fake) information is out there and websites are covering it, there is an imperative on the part of news organizations to look at it, flag it for readers and tell them what we know and what we don’t know,” Silverman said.

“If we remain silent, the ones who win are the mindless propagators.”