How to Spot & Fact-Check Fake News

How to Spot Fake News — 5 Steps to Stop the Spread of Misinformation

The term “fake news” has become somewhat of a buzzword, but it's a real problem in the age of social media. The phenomenon refers to incorrect or misleading information or propaganda that’s presented as news. It’s typically unverifiable, written by non-experts, and spread via social media apps like Facebook, Twitter or WhatsApp.

In recent years, social media platforms and media sites have put fact-checking measures in place to plug the spread of fake news. But it’s essential to be a discerning viewer and do your best to fact-check news you receive.

As an individual, how can you check to see if the information you're reading is bogus?

What is Fake News? 5 Types You’ll Encounter

Fake news is spread for a variety of reasons — sometimes, the person sharing the information has a political agenda. Other times, it’s simply to generate as many views as possible. Here are five types of fake news you’ll typically encounter:

• Parody sites: Parody sites (like The Betoota Advocate and The Chaser) publish phoney news stories, but the goal is to entertain and present a humorous depiction of the news. However, these stories can sometimes mislead viewers when taken out of context.Connects directly to original YouTube database
• Clickbait: Clickbait is an article or social post designed to go viral. People sharing clickbait will often use sensational headlines to trick you into thinking the article is better than it actually is. Example: ‘Sydney woman makes $10,000 a week from home - This is how’.
• Biased news: Biased news may have some element of truth to it, but it’s often taken out of context to promote an agenda. For instance, this could look like someone misrepresenting findings from an academic study.
• Misleading headlines: A misleading headline differs from the facts in the story. With many of us simply scrolling to consume content, people often don’t take the time to read the entire article, so a misleading headline can cause them to jump to the wrong conclusions.
• Propaganda: Propaganda is the worst type of fake news — especially when it’s used in situations like war and conflict. It’s news that’s intentionally deceptive and meant to trick viewers and sway opinions. The source usually poses as a fake expert or legitimate news site to deceive people.

How Can You Fact-Check News and Disinformation on Social Media?

The best way to stop fake news is to identify and avoid spreading it yourself. Here are five steps you can take to spot fake news and disinformation online.

1. Don’t form opinions based on the headline alone
Have you ever read a comment on a news story where it was apparent the person commenting never actually read the article? Headlines are often written in a way to cause readers to form an immediate opinion about the information shared.

That’s why it’s best to always hold off on forming an opinion until you’ve read the full article. And don’t let emotion cloud your judgement — try to read the story objectively and use critical thinking. If the author is trying hard to influence your opinion in some way, chances are it’s either paid journalism or fake news.

2. Verify the source of the information
If you read a news story and aren’t sure whether it’s fake news, you can start by checking your source's credibility. A credible website provides contact information (such as an editorial email address) and information about the post's author as well as editor.

In addition, credible websites will have real quotes, documents, backlinks or citations to share where they received the information from. You can also use the site’s URL to determine its purpose — for example .gov websites are government sites, and .edu websites are university sites.

3. Check if other reliable news sources have reported this story
If you read a sensational news story, stop and take a minute to check if other legitimate news outlets have posted on the same story. If they haven’t, there’s a good chance you’re reading fake news. You can also use a fact-checking website like Snopes, PolitiFact, or BBC Reality Check to verify the accuracy of a news story.

4. Check the author’s credentials
Even if the website is legitimate, you should always consider whether the author has the expertise to be reporting on or expressing their opinion on a key event. For instance, if someone gives investment advice but has no related credentials or professional background in finance, their advice is suspect.

But people can also lie about their credentials, so try to verify their accuracy whenever possible. And a quick internet search may help you determine whether or not that person has the credentials they claim to have.

5. Consider the purpose of the article
And finally, you should always consider why the article is being shared. Is it satire and designed to entertain readers? Is it clickbait that’s designed to get as many views or clicks as possible? Watch out for ‘sponsored content’, which is an advertisement trying to incentivise readers to buy something.

You can often determine the story’s intent by looking at other articles shared on that website. For instance, if the site shares other news parodies, then it’s probably a parody site similar to the Onion.

The Bottom Line

Fake news and misinformation are a growing problem, which is why social media sites and news outlets are coming up with new initiatives to fight it, as it can spread conflict, controversy, and misunderstanding. When individuals don’t have access to accurate information, it’s harder to form fair opinions or make good decisions.

So what should you do if you spot fake news on social media? You can instantly report it to the social media site it’s being shared on.

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