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Internet-savvy students

Here’s how to spot fake news

From an article by Marissa Lang  Updated 5:00 pm, Thursday, December 1, 2016 sfgate.com

The best way to fight the proliferation of false information, researchers say, is to change the way you read online to become a more active, and better informed, news consumer. 

READ THE URL

FAKE news websites that appear to belong to a legitimate news source tend to have an extra suffix at THE END: the website ABCnews.com.co isn’t the actual website for ABC News. (That’s abcnews.go.com.) 

GO BEYOND THE HEADLINE

YOU can learn a lot by reading past the headline.

First, consider who wrote the piece. Click on the author’s byline to see who he or she is. Look up authors’ names to verify whether they really are who they say they are. A story with no byline or a name that sounds ridiculous should raise some immediate red flags.

CHECK THE SOURCES

Bogus stories, particularly ones trying to pass themselves off as legitimate news, may quote official-sounding sources, but if you do a little digging, you’ll find that those sources don’t exist or don’t square with the information being reported in the fake article.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Outdated news, real and fake, can often get a second wind on social media when a story is picked up again. But outdated information can also be inaccurate information.Check the date. If it’s several months — or years — old, conduct your own search to see if there have been any updates to the story.

CALL IN THE EXPERTS

When in doubt, look to independent organizations that specialize in fact checking, including Snopes, Politifact and FactCheck.

Two Truths & a Lie

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