The real consequences of fake news:

Fake news, or fabricated content deceptively presented as real news, has garnered a lot of interest since the U.S. presidential election last fall. The real impact of the growing interest in fake news has been the realization that the public might not be well-equipped to separate quality information from false information. In fact, a majority of Americans are confident that they can spot fake news. When Buzz-feed surveyed American high schoolers, they too were confident they could spot, and ignore, fake news online. The reality, however, is that it might be more difficult than people think.

The greatest protection mechanism of news organisations is the high-quality content they produce, and the connection they foster with their audiences. Nowhere is the value of journalism more vivid than in specialist investigative reporting, a key contribution of news media to society.

https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/848/Fact-or-Fiction-Fake-News-and-its-Impact-on-Education.aspx