Beware: Fake News is Everywhere!

In today’s hugely online society, it is natural that false information has the potential to spread, and spread fast. People on social media are quick to believe the information they read, even sharing it at times, without questioning the credibility of the source. Most times this can be avoided by simply reading before we share. But fear not! We can combat the spread of fake news just by digging a little deeper!

Experts on Fact Check have detailed different ways you can spot a fake news article off the bat. First, look at the sources the article sites. Fake news articles are often posted to sites that may appear to be legitimate news sources, such as abcnews.com.co. At first glance, this would look like ABC News’ site, but again, all it takes is for the reader to look at the url in more detail. If you are unsure if a site is legitimate, you can look at the about and contact pages for more information.

Next, actually read the article. Too often people on social media share articles and tweets after only reading the headlines. There is always a possibility that the actual article does not reflect the information in the headline, or that it contains false information. Read before you share, simple as that! Use tools like Fact Check if you are unsure of an article.

The author of an article can also be telling. Research the author; oftentimes it will be a fictional person, or an anonymous author, which are red flags. Check the supporting sources or facts! Credible sources might be inaccurately cited in these articles. Check the dates in the article, these might be telling as well-documented events will have other articles with correct dates.

Experts are researching why these fake news sites and articles are influencing so many people. One site has emerged as the top hub for these fake news sites to gain traction: facebook. These sites receive enormous amounts of shares, likes, and comments. A number of fact checker sites have pleaded with Facebook to crack down on these fake news sites and remove them from the site.

This problem has become so widespread that our president has even been guilty of spreading false information via fake news sites. This irresponsible behavior only worsens the issue. Our president needs to take his social media practices more seriously to avoid the spread of false information.

Part of the problem today is that people share tweets and articles without checking all of this information. I think a lot of this has to do with biases, where people will share something simply because the headlines aligns with their point of view. We need to be cautious and make sure that what we share is based in facts, not opinions.