Detecting fake news
Our society is heavily reliant on the news presented to us. We put all of our trust in journalists and news reporters, depending on them to keep us informed about what is happening in our country.
What we don’t realize, however, is that the news being reported to us is often completely or somewhat untrue and twisted. We commonly see this on sites such as Facebook, but it is also possible for entire websites to be phony. These are usually created by people who are in fact not journalists at all, but just average citizens making up stories.
It has recently been found that younger generations are less capable of detecting false news stories and websites, which is surprising when taking into consideration the amount of time young adults spend on the Internet. It is crucial that we are able to detect when we are being fed lies that have the ability to brainwash us. If we are able to recognize the lies in news, then we can distance ourselves from that outlet so that we can make our own decisions based solely on pure information.
The Simple Steps
One of the most basic ways to detect whether or not the news being received is fake is to check simple aspects of the website, such as simply look at the website URL. If it ends in “.co,” there is a likely chance that the website is fake, meaning the news on it is as well. Going to the “Contact Us” page could be a significant sign of whether or not the website is fake. Often times, a fake website will not contain one of these pages.
Dig Into the Details
Another way to detect a fake website is by paying attention to the details. If an article offers details about a person, event, or place that seem unreasonable or even far too detailed, there’s a chance that the story is not true.
It is also crucial to check the sources used in the creating of the article. It is not uncommon for a fake story to be based off of a tweet or Facebook post, which stem from no proof whatsoever. If the article you’re reading contains no links to other reliable websites, then that story is probably fake.
Pictures Speak a Thousand Words
Looking at the pictures presented with the article can also help determine the credibility of the story. If a picture looks obviously photoshopped, that is a significant sign that the story is fake. If you can’t tell whether or not the photo is real, use other resources to verify the photo. If you can’t find the picture anywhere else, then the story from which it came was probably fake.
There are numerous ways to check the credibility of an article quickly and effectively. Taking the time to do so will allow you to be a better informed citizen and save you from the fabrication of phony writers.
