Fake news is nothing new. There is a Houston Chronicle article from 1905 discussing this very problem and uses that exact phrase to describe a reported yellow fever epidemic in Houston. The Chronicle carried the story from the San Antonio Express, who corroborated the rumor and found it not true. Do keep in mind that even traditional media sources (newspaper, television) are not as objective as in the past. This is common and may be discernable on the surface. What reporters ask, how they ask, and what they do not ask are often telling. What is their bias? How you done any research on the reporter? What is the parent company of the television or newspaper?
Great resource: Snopes.com