http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38631847

"I read on Facebook..." is certainly a common phrase in Ulster. I'm reminded of that 'wisdom of crowds' BS from a few years ago.

'The wisdom of crowds' is an actual provable thing, but it's only applicable under certain circumstances. 'I saw it on Facebook' is applicable as proof under no circumstances.

Plus certain newspapers will shout 'Outrage as...', when they really mean we've found two people on Twitter who are angry and we'd like to spin it.

I know very few people who use Facebook.

After deleting my account in 2009, I had to create a new one in 2015, because I had to take on the social media editor role at my last job. That said, I think I have posted about half a dozen posts on my account and I haven't looked at Facebook since October or November. I just don't seem to have the time and Facebook isn't interesting enough to hold my attention.

I think only one member of my wife's family has Facebook and he only uses it to keep in touch with his fishing buddies to organise the next trip.

As to fake news, there was an incident over New Year, where a local right wing newspaper wrote something about a handful Muslims causing a disturbance, this was picked up by the American political publication Wide Beard (Breitbart, have I translated it correctly?), which made it out to be a mass riot by hundreds of Muslims in Cologne, which got back to the main press in Germany, only for it to be denied by the town council and local police, who said there were a few Muslims there, but they caused no trouble.