Fake news- it’s a term with a lot of political and partisan baggage. During and after the 2016 election, Americans learned the extent to which internet hoaxes had moved beyond the traditional boundaries of pranks and accidental misinformation. The Trump campaign was a breeding ground for creators, “likers,” and “sharers” of stories fabricated to support Trump’s ideas and beliefs. Some of these stories even outperformed stories by trusted major news outlets. For information superpowers Facebook and Google, this was a wakeup call to create tools that limit the amount of deceptive material that consumers can view. For Democratic voters, as more and more fraud came to light, it suggested that the election itself was a fraud. For the President, declaring “Fake News” became a strategy to target reporters and journalists with whom he didn’t agree.
As young people, our task of spotting fake news can be especially challenging. Especially in an age where social media is a main news source for many, reading with a trained eye is more important than ever. Below are 4 steps to follow when checking out the sketchiness of a source.
- Scope out the origin
Where did the article originally come from? Think about the news outlets you trust: the ones you know and check often, and the ones you don’t often look at but know by reputation. Make sure you’ve verified that the source isn’t a parody site or a gossip outlet you usually wouldn’t trust. Most importantly, make sure you haven’t stumbled across a fake-news-for-profit site: sites that claim to report real news but don’t.
- Check the bias
Plenty of trustworthy news outlets hold some sort of partisan bias. This is usually fine, as long as you’re aware of it. Crediting a story is dangerous to do without awareness of political bias, especially if it’s told from only one viewpoint. Even if you know you agree with a certain interpretation of events, it’s worthwhile to read about other perspectives so you can disagree in an informed manner (and support your argument!)
- The smell test
Something seem not quite right? If you’re on a site that you can’t yet verify as trustworthy, be on the lookout for red flags. Maybe the URL is spelled in a weird way, the website layout is unprofessional, or it’s asking for personal information? These are all warning signs and you should proceed with caution (or leave the site completely.) If it’s a twitter or other social media account, how many followers does it have? Is it verified? Sniff around and make sure everything seems trustworthy and legitimate before trusting anything published.
- Phone a friend
Get a second opinion! Ask a parent, teacher, or trusted adult to help you look at a site and see if it’s legitimate. You can also see if other news outlets you trust are reporting similar stories, and if the site is sourcing reputable sources.
VOICE OF THE VOTELESS 