When you hear the term 'fake news', what is really being talked about is 'disinformation' or 'misinformation'. But what is the difference? Disinformation can be defined as misleading or untrue information deliberately being spread as factual news. Misinformation can be defined as misleading or false information being spread regardless of intent. How can one determine what is factual news and what is false? There are a few things you can look at before diving into a news source:
- Check your source! Where did you get your information? Are they credible? Look at the URL of the resource as some websites try to pose as a credible news source like WJAR or ABCNews.
- Check the author! Who authored the article or news post? Do they have a portfolio of work available to view? Anyone can post or repost information onto the internet, but make sure to check their credentials.
- READ! Don’t just go by the catchy headline. Many headlines can be misleading or serve as clickbait while the content of the article or story could be completely different. Reading the content is an effective way to determine if the article is fake or misleading.
- Are they serious?? Some sources are fake for entertainment purposes. So, again, read the article to determine if it is satire. For example, The Onion
- Look at the details! Where is the author or user getting their information for this article or post? Check the dates. Check the sources. Check their supporting information. Some online sources may report events that have happened a long time ago as if it were current news to create traffic to their sites. They may use uncredible websites or channels to support their “research.”
- Fact check! If you have gone through and checked your news source against the above list and still are not sure if it is real or fake news, there are quite a few credible fact checking websites available such as:
- Factcheck.org
- Snopes.com
- Washington Post Fact Checker
- BONUS-Is it Bias? A bias news source can be a problem when searching for credible sources for your assignments. While some of the information could still be true and therefore, ‘factual news’, the added bias can skew the article and may not represent the entire story. When reading your sources consider whether or not the story supports the ideas or beliefs of one person or one group of people or does the story present facts and data?