How to Spot Fake News

Different countries and companies have struggled to prevent fake news from spreading. In this post, we discuss six ways that you can spot fakenews.

1. Check the Source

Check the About Us and the Contact pages of each website before you read an article. Most sardonic websites have disclaimers. The following are the most common sources of news:

• The internet: It is one of the major sources of information globally. Some media sites focus on particular news like sports news and political news. They include The Huffington Post, RealClearPolitics, and Politico.
• Newspapers: The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The New York Times are the leading newspapers in the U.S. Each print newspaper has a website. Most of them get information from Reuters and The Associated Press.
• Social media: Millions of web users share news on Twitter and Facebook. Facebook has financed a deepfake detection challenge since the last presidential election in the United States. It provides prizes and funds to people who innovate new technologies to detect fake videos.

2. Check Media Literacy Websites

Visit Factcheck.org or Snopes.com to check whether the information is genuine before you spread it. The media literacy sites identify authentic information when fake news starts spreading. It is advisable to use two sites to get accurate results. A genuine news source shouldn’t be biased in reporting news. Instead, it should seek information from trustworthy sources. Social media users need to verify the news they receive in their accounts.

The American University developed Factitious. It is an interesting game that requires you to identify fake and genuine news. Colleges and universities offering journalism courses can use Newseum resources to teach students vital media literacy skills.

3. Check the URL

Original websites have a unique URL. Organizations that create and spread fake news trick web users by simulating the design, logo, and URL of legitimate websites. For example, abcnews.com.co creates fake news and duped readers to believe it was from abcnews.com

4. Look Out for Sloppy Writing

Authors who often use exclamation points are known to create fake news. Check if an article has caps locks, grammatical or spelling mistakes. Genuine sources of news have skilled editors who check the news before they publish it.

5. Visit Fact-checking Sites

Hoax Slayer, factscan.org, Snopes.com, PlotiFact.com and International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) check whether a news story is genuine. Besides, they research more about a certain story. So, it is prudent to compare several fact-checking websites to determine the authenticity of any information.

6. Look for Quotes

Most professional journalists use quotes when they publish news. It proves their integrity and enables web users to research the person or organization that has been quoted. Fake news or opinions pieces lack quotes.

Improved internet and modern technology enable people to spread news across different countries. Some people share information through social media. It is important to check the source of information, the URL, fact-checking websites, and to look out for sloppy writing to verify information. Hoaxes have serious consequences on the reputation and security of individuals and organizations.