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In the time of the fourth industrial revolution or information age, fake news can sometimes do the rounds and change the name to the misinformation age. Fake news can often be difficult to spot but this article will focus on clues to help you spot potentially fake news online.
First Tip to Spot Fake News: The Source
Check the name of the website you are reading for (a) spelling mistake(s). If it’s a renowned news source you know and trust with the name of the writer and a date and time present, chances are the news is genuine. By clicking on the writer’s name you will be able to see all articles written by the writer, reassuring you that the writer is not fake.
Another way to make sure the website is real is by checking the web address or URL.
How to Check the URL
To make sure you are on the real news website, make sure the website address or URL at the top of your screen is spelled correctly. When a fake website is created, the creators are clever in naming the site and tries to make it look like the original.
Also in the URL bar where the website address is located, make sure there is a padlock next to the address. This indicates that the website has an SSL certificate.
The SSL certificate ensures that information between you and the website is encrypted and not visible to anyone between your computer and the website itself. This is not a definite sign, but if you don’t see the padlock or an open padlock, be attentive of what you read and submit on that site, especially banking information.
Fake Social Media Accounts
It’s easy to create a fake social media account and populate it with enough links to real articles to make it seem legitimate. After gaining trust from followers, the creator can easily slip in fake articles aimed at spreading fake news and creating hysteria.
Most social media platforms have ways for the real company or person to verify the official account. Twitter for instance, has a verified badge which is a blue cloud with a white tick inside and Facebook has a blue circle, also with a white tick inside. When you see these badges, you can read the articles knowing that the account is owned by the original person or company.
Fact-Checking Websites
Check the facts yourself. There are a few websites, dedicated to verify facts current news stories and even social media posts. Poynter and Politifact are two examples but there are countless others.
Language Quality
Any journalist or news company measure themselves on the quality of articles they produce and language is probably the number one factor in this equation.
If you come across an article with atrocious spelling and grammar, make way to the next article. These articles were possibly written by non-professionals that don’t care about real journalism and who are just writing to joke around or spread fake news.
Check the Links in the Article
The University of Melbourne suggests you check the credibility of an article by looking for links made to other websites and by opening those links to see if the story was reported correctly.
Multiple Sources
This one links – and yes, the pun completely intended – to the previous tip. If you feel something is off and the links don’t corroborate the story you just read, do a quick Google search and check multiple other sources to confirm or disprove the news.
The more sources confirming the same story, the greater the chances the story is true.
Don’t Share Everything Sent to You
Another problem society is facing is forwarding without reading, verifying and thinking. Yes, this may sound a bit harsh, but the issue is real. By just forwarding these articles it’s easy to create mass hysteria and that’s exactly what the writer wants.
Usually, the hysteria is completely unnecessary and avoidable.
Don’t Discount a News Source Because of One Wrong Fact
Just keep in mind that just because one small fact is wrong in an article, it doesn’t mean that the whole article, author or website is fake. Everyone makes mistakes or some of their trusted sources can also make mistakes, which is not their fault.
If you come across one small mistake, don’t distrust the author or site for years to come.
Closing
No matter where you go, somewhere you will find fake news. The key is identifying it, not giving attention to the wrong information and most importantly, not sharing it. Please let me know in the comments if I missed a valuable way to spot fake news.
