The most prominent way to tell if the news is fake is through checking the website for a disclaimer. If there isn’t one, it’s likely that the information is not credible. Another way to check if they’re fake is by looking at who published them and how they’re being distributed. A third way would be to look at what other websites are reporting about this topic or event in order to see if it’s been confirmed or denied elsewhere.
A few weeks ago, There was an article about the Boston Marathon bombing and a story that came out of Russia. The headline on Yahoo News read “Boston Bombing: 3 Dead, Dozens Injured.” There were no quotes or sources listed. A quick Google search revealed this is not unusual for news in Russia- most articles are written by journalists who do not have press credentials or government permits granted from the Kremlin. This means they can make up stories without being held accountable for what they write and it’s easy to see why so many people believe everything they read in Russian newspapers.
Here are some helpful tips for spotting fake news:
- Check the date of publication
- Look at the URL
- Read other articles on the site
- Check with an expert
- Double-check before sharing.
With these five steps in mind, it’s easier to find out which information is trustworthy and which should be ignored.