Worried About Fake News?

Here’s a Fact Checker’s Guide for detecting “fake news”:

Back in the day, media sources were limited largely to TV newscasters and journalists for newspapers and magazines. Journalists like Walter Cronkite delivered the news and we believed every word. Although “fake news” was not a thing back then, we knew whether the news leaned slightly left or right. 

Today, social media and the internet make it possible for anyone to conjure up propaganda under the guise of legitimate news.  While this is super bad, what’s worse are the people who “share” these articles on Facebook, Twitter, and other social sites.  By endorsing fake news, this misinformation can spread like wildfire.  People often share these stories after reading only the headlines, without even bothering to read the articles.

So here are a few tips to check if you’re reading Fake News.

1. Check the article’s website
   Real: ABC News = abcnews.go.com
   Fake: ABC News = abcnews.com.co
   ** “.co” is an internet country code domain for Colombia
2. Check the “Contact Us” page
   Fake news usually doesn’t have a Contact Us page
3. Check the byline of the reporter
   Fake news journalists usually boast ridiculous claims
4. Check for fake quotes
   Fake news makes claims from Snopes.com about legitimacy of the article
5. Check the sources
   Fake news will not have links to sources
6. Check the ads
   Fake news will have inappropriate ads
7. Check search engines & sites dedicated to identifying fake news:
   Field Guide to Fake News Sites (Snopes.com)
   RealorSatire.com

The best way to stop fake news is to think before you share!

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