How to Identify Fake News

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administration, business, cellphoneFake news make fictitious occurrence as real and true.

When a certain article is shared multiple times, it can eventually mislead people. It has been widespread in the different news sites and social media. Facebook has been expressed its stand against fake news online and Google made its stand as well. It has initiated a search label globally to show when an article has been fact checked.

Here are some guide to help you:

  • Check the website – Most of the fake sites are quite obvious and it will depend on the reader’s reaction. These kinds of news evoke an emotion and sensationalize headlines. Because of the reader’s reaction, reading the rest of the news may be neglected.
  • Look-alike URL – When a link is similar to an actual news site, that is a sure sign of being a fake. Go to the real website and compare the URL. Look at the likeness of the fake news and the established news site. An odd domain means odd content. Instead of cnn.com, it will be cnnn.com or cmn.com. At a quick glance, you might consider them all the same.
  • Probe the source – Find out if the source of the news was reported by someone with a good reputation for accuracy. The news article should not focus on appeal to the emotion, but to the data and evidences. Should the organization is not familiar, check About section and you can contact that person if you have your doubts.
  • Look at the other reports – Do not rely on a single article, and do your own research. Browse for other reports that focuses on the actual story, and not your emotion. If the same news was reported by other news sites you can trust, the news is likely accurate.
  • Unusual formatting – A fake news has an odd layout and has misspelled words. The real news sites design is professional and the news has been edited properly.
  • Beware of biased political news –  It is during election that fake news often happens. It will give information to give more advantage to a certain political party.
  • Check the debunking sites – Go to websites like Snopes and FactCheck to check the authenticity of a particular news.

When we evaluate news, we need to be critical.

Do not be ruled by your emotion. If you are not certain, go to the different debunking websites, or do your own research. Then, make your final conclusion.