Abstract

In a situation where social media has established itself as a platform for the spread of fake news, this study raises the need to investigate the role that various news producers actually coexisting on social media play in the process of spreading fake news. This study collected data from YouTube videos NodeXL, useful for analyzing user behavior on social media was utilized -to collect YouTube videos that were highly relevant to rumors of Kim Jong-un's death. This study classified news producers into mainstream media, personal current affairs channels, and personal general channels, and looked into which groups had influence before and after the discovery of fake news. Mainstream media served as a transmitter of fake news, personal general channels and personal current affairs channels unrelated to political issues were found to have participated in spreading rumors of Kim Jong-un's death. Even after the rumor was debunked, private channels still spread rumors of Kim Jong-un's death. Even after it was confirmed that Kim Jong-un was alive, several news producers were found to be actively involved in the production and spread of fake news. This research suggests that misinformation can persist long after it has been discredited in public discourse, highlighting the need for robust fact-checking mechanisms across private channels as well as mainstream media.