How To Spot Fake News
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Fake news is becoming increasingly popular in today’s age. Oftentimes, we come across articles or headlines that try to trick our brains into thinking they are true.
Most fake news articles have a goal of misleading readers and trying to take away their trust of the government, businesses, tech leaders, scientists, and health experts.
Another type of fake news is a form called deepfakes. A deepfake is an image or video manipulated to look real, often replacing people’s faces with others.
Again, this form of fake news is used to mislead people and, in more extreme cases, brainwash them.
How can I spot fake news?
- Check the source. This is a reliable way to confirm whether the story you are reading is fake news. If a leading news network such as The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, CNN, and NBC is listed as the source, then the article is most likely reliable.
- Don’t stop reading at the headline. Often, people only read the headlines and get misled by the few words shouting at them from the page. However, a good way to know whether news is fake or not is to read beyond the headline – check the content.
- Who wrote the story? Many times, checking who wrote the story is a great way to check whether it is fake news. Try looking up the author – this will help to certify whether that person actually wrote the article or not.
Using these techniques to spot fake news can really help you filter out the untruths. It can be hard to find in this age of technology and misinformation, but do some digging, and you will find it.
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