How to Spot Fake News: Questions That Weed Out False and Misleading News
Social media and online publication have pushed a lot of power into the hands of individuals when it comes to publishing news and information. While this new state of things has resulted in a new age of freedom of expression, new technologies have also given rise to fake news — false, misleading and biased news released for political and monetary gain. A few simple but effective questions can go a long way to uncovering most of the false publications spreading online today.
Most fake news are stories made for gain, either for advertising dollars, political influence or padding social media numbers. A few questions can reveal the intention behind the new story, as collected by Project Look Sharp via Common Sense Media.
The first questions ask about the content creator and the audience. Who made this? Just asking this question makes the reader examine the reputation and past credibility of the news source. Who is the target audience? Often, the way that an article is written will make it apparent if the piece is pandering to the biases of an audience.
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Who paid for this? To put it in an online sense — who gets paid if a reader clicks on the news? In fake news, there's always an intention to bait readers into clicking their provocative headlines. A lot of low-quality articles, usually derided as "non-news," fall into this category — all headline and not a lot of substance afterward.
Who might benefit or be harmed by this message? Some features aim to boost or hurt the reputation of certain personalities, causes, or entire sections of the community. A newsworthy piece should be unbiased and free from motivations to aid or hurt a cause.
What is left out of this message that might be important? Good news stories are also comprehensive, well-researched articles that allow the reader to verify if the story is true and complete.
Is this news credible? What makes one think that? A little bit of self-examination is always good for the discerning reader. Is the article persuasive enough that rhetoric is taking over the facts? What does the reader find in the article that makes him or her think that the writer is credible? All these considerations will help a reader discern between fake and factual news.
