Tips that you can start utilizing today to help you spot "fake news".
Cornell University Library shared an infographic that showed tips on how to spot "fake news". You can find the infographic on the Cornell University Library website or by clicking here.
The tips listed included, considering the source, reading beyond the headline, checking the author, supporting sources, checking the date, asking yourself if it's a joke, checking your biases, and asking the experts. But what exactly do those mean?
"Consider the Source - Click away from the story to investigate the site, its mission, and its contact info."
Take a minute to look at the website. Is it a credible source? Is there a clear mission to the site? Is there any contact information listed for the author(s)? Many sources, such as Wikipedia can be edited and are not always credible sources of information.
"Read Beyond - Headlines can be outrageous in an effort to get clicks. What's the whole story?"
Headlines are made to catch the attention of the reader. Especially on a website. Catchy headlines drive traffic to the website and help improve the authority of the website. Google is smart enough to drive down links that aren't authoritative, but those same articles can be shared via social media so this can't always be avoided. Make sure that you're reading the article in its entirety because sometimes headlines can just be an attention grabber but do not support the story.
"Check the Author - Do a quick search on the author. Are they credible? Are they real?"
This is an easy step that can sometimes be overlooked. If there's no author listed, there's a good chance that the information is not credible.
"Check the Date - Reposting old news stories doesn't mean they're relevant to current events."
Our timeline is constantly changing. Although history does often repeat itself, this doesn't mean that the 4-year-old article that your uncle shared on Facebook is relevant today.
"Supporting Sources? - Clock those links. Determine if the info given is given actually supports the story."
It's easy for an author to just post links as sources knowing that not everyone is running to click the links to fact check. More often than not, people aren't clicking the sources. This is why it's important to do your own research!
"Is it a joke?" - If it's too outlandish, it might be satire. Research the site and author to be sure."
Research the website! If you're unfamiliar with the website and see a title like, "New Ohio Law Allows School Employees to Carry Guns with 24 Hours of Training" you may take it seriously. A website like The Onion posted an article with exactly that title - as a joke. Even with that outlandish title, an unsuspecting "victim" might believe it in today's climate.
"Check your Biases - Consider if your own beliefs could affect your judgment."
This is important in any situation, not just for spotting "fake news". Most formal writing is meant to be free of personal bias and opinions, but that's not always the case when it comes to news sources. News outlets consistently use various rhetoric to appeal to their audiences' personal biases.
"Ask the Experts - Ask a librarian or consult a fact-checking site."
Snopes.com is a great place to fact-check information if you're not a fan of the library.
Again, conduct your own research before reading too far into things. The internet can be a vast, amazing, resource just as much as it can be a black hole of misinformation. Use it wisely.
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