How Can You Identify Fake News
What is fake news?
Fake news is nothing but misinformation spread by members of society or an organization to propagate an agenda or incite the public. This phenomenon has been around for centuries. The Salem Witch Trials of the 17th-century is one such example. What makes it easier to spread disinformation and misinformation in the present world, is the use of social media. News is spreading faster than ever before and, as a result, so are lies.
How to spot fake news?
In general, a good thing about identifying misleading information is that you don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to know it isn’t real. Using your common sense and reliable sources of information, it’s always a good idea to confirm the truth of content before sharing it with others or believing it yourself.
- Verify the publisher’s credibility
Check where the information shared with you is coming from. You might have seen a post on a friend’s profile or they have shared it with you, but it could be viral news shared by several people. When in doubt, always check the original publisher’s domain name, their ‘about us’ section and the author’s qualifications. Also, make a note of the timelines. Sometimes the dates mentioned in the fake news, and that of the events described, do not add up. - Quality of the Content
Another way to detect if a source is reliable is when they use vague language that makes it obvious that they don’t belong to the area of expertise they are speaking about. If there’s an image associated with it, you may try the Reverse Image Search and find more information on it. Even sloppy writing and incorrect use of language, in many cases, could be telltale signs of duplicitous content. - Do some research on Google
Sometimes when a post is misleading or untrue, there’s a possibility that several people have already gotten to the bottom of it and debunked the theory. Upon google search of the content posted, you may be able to find articles or fact-checking websites debunking false information. Media Literacy sites such as snopes.com and factcheck.org are quite handy when it comes to identifying fake news.
Using these ways to ensure you get true and quality content online is a great way to stay kind to your mind. These are also good ways of researching trading platforms.