Fake news, vomited forth by many in both the Left and Right, devious Liberals and conniving Conservatives alike, has become ubiquitous in the media landscape. Outright lies or fiendishly insidious half-truths are spewed forth only to make money or damage the reputation of political opponents. In many cases, both. There is no commitment to honesty and integrity as these saliva-dripping con-artists devote their lives to kneeling at the altar of money and power. Below are the most basic ways to detect these unscrupulous double-dealers, along with other sources that will make anyone too smart to dupe.
The Source Investigate the site to make sure it’s legitimate, and check its mission and its contact info to understand if it’s news, satire, or opinion. The URL Be wary of unusual top-level domain names, like “.com.co” that are designed to appear legitimate, such as ABCnews.com.co. The Text Does the article have spelling errors or dramatic punctuation? This can be an easy find for simple fabricated content, as most reputable sources have high proofreading and grammatical standards. The Information Read past click-baity headlines, note who is (or isn’t) quoted, and verify the information on other sites. This is also a good way to separate opinion pieces from news. The Author Check the author’s bio and do a quick search on them. Are they credible to write about their story? Are they real? Supporting Sources Click on the supporting links, and perform reverse searches on images. Do they actually support the story, or are they irrelevant (or worse, manipulated). The Date Sometimes older news stories are shared again and gain traction because of current events, but that doesn’t mean they’re relevant or accurate. Your Bias Especially with the rise of opinionated journalism and websites profiting from polarization, consider the intended audience for this story and if your own beliefs could affect your judgement. The Experts If a story feels flimsy, or doesn’t seem to be properly cited, consider asking an expert in the field or consulting a fact-checking site.
Source
How To Spot Fake News https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-to-spot-fake-news/
Further Reading
Journalists believe news and opinion are separate, but readers can’t tell the difference https://theconversation.com/journalists-believe-news-and-opinion-are-separate-but-readers-cant-tell-the-difference-140901
Fake Product News, Posing as Journalism, Draws in Unsuspecting Consumers https://www.chicagobooth.edu/review/fake-product-news-posing-journalism-draws-unsuspecting-consumers
Inside a Facebook bot farm that pumps out 200k+ political posts per month - Comparitech researchers accessed an unsecured Facebook bot farm used to control nearly 14,000 fake accounts. Here’s what we found. https://www.comparitech.com/blog/information-security/inside-facebook-bot-farm/
11 Cognitive Biases That Influence Political Outcomes https://www.visualcapitalist.com/11-cognitive-biases-influence-politics/
First Draft: "Today, we need access to the truth more than ever before. But in this polluted information environment, it’s never been harder to know what to trust, and never easier to be misled. Disinformation is targeting and damaging our communities, all around the world. At First Draft, our mission is to protect communities from harmful misinformation. We work to empower society with the knowledge, understanding, and tools needed to outsmart false and misleading information." https://firstdraftnews.org/
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Photo: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/fake-news-sign-on-pc-keyboard-vector-jaroslav-frank.html
Jerry De Luca is a Christian freelance writer who loves perusing dozens of interesting and informative publications. When he finds any useful info he summarizes it, taking the main points, and creates a (hopefully) helpful blog post.
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