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How to Spot Fake News Ahead of the 2020 Elections
Photo Courtesy: G Fiume/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images
The purposeful spread of misinformation on the internet isn't new, but there are ways we can avoid — and learn to recognize — it so we don't fall into the trap and distribute or believe false information ourselves. Some social media companies work hard to remove or label fake news as it runs rampant on their platforms, and others fall entirely too short in their efforts (or lack thereof) to do so. Facebook in particular takes the lead as the "referrer site for untrustworthy news sources over 15% of the time."
Recently, the spread of fake news about COVID-19 online has created confusion that resulted in a negative impact on public health. According to The Washington Post, politicians, celebrities and other public figures were the superspreaders of misinformation as "the source of about 20% of false claims." Here's the reason we're worried about it: We've seen fake news show up during the pandemic and the previous presidential election — times when we really need and are trying to look for the most accurate information — and it may happen again this upcoming election.
Thankfully, there are some steps we can take to protect ourselves from believing and spreading the false material.This guide will help you learn to identify images, videos and news articles that contain misinformation so they don't slip through the cracks.
Check the Domain and Link
False news sites are sneaky, but there are a few easy signs that'll help you catch them. First, check the web address to the news story. Some false news sites try to imitate reputable sources (such as ABC News or The Wall Street Journal) by making minor changes to their URLs, like adding or removing a letter, number or symbol. Compare the links of the official news outlet and the site of the story you're reading to help confirm if the site is real or phony.
Photo Courtesy: Mario Tama/Staff/Getty Images News
If the site isn't a lookalike but you still don't recognize the organization that published it, read its "About" section to better judge its content and credibility. This section of the site (or a similar page on it) should also have information about the company's leaders to help you dig deeper into who's running it and what their goals are.
Sometimes, a website's About page will help you realize it's not actually a serious news site. Not all companies publish misinformation maliciously. Some publications, like The Onion and ClickHole, create satirical content. For instance, ClickHole's about page states, "Today, the average website carelessly churns out hundreds of pieces of pandering, misleading content, most of which tragically fall short of going viral. At ClickHole, we refuse to stand for this. We strive to make sure that all of our content panders to and misleads our readers just enough to make it go viral." Often, a quick look is all it takes to help you realize a site is meant for entertainment and only entertainment.
Inspect the Story's Sources, Dates and Text for Accuracy
Credible articles cite where their evidence came from, including related images, graphs and quotes. First, examine if the story's claims match the information from its sources by visiting or reviewing those sources. If they don't match, the story is providing inaccurate information.
Photo Courtesy: Chris Jackson/Staff/Getty images
The absence of sources may also suggest it's a false news story. However, you can still search other major news outlets for similar claims. If the same information isn't published anywhere else, it may be too good to be true. This approach applies to quotes in news stories as well. A quick Google search of exact quotes can help you find where the statement originated. Major news outlets often print the same quotes from public figures, but if only a few small organizations (or none at all) have published it, the quote may be made up.
Checking the dates within the story is also a good idea. False news stories often include timelines that don't add up.
Also, look out for awkward formatting and mistakes in the text. Many "news" sites that share misinformation have typos. For instance, the Internet Research Agency connected to the 2016 election interference purposely used poor grammar and misspellings in its content.
Take a Closer Look at Images and Videos for Authenticity
Online trolls, or bullies, are more sneaky and advanced, making it difficult for social media platforms to detect and remove them and their content. Initially, misinformation was only spread through images and text. Now, there are also deepfakes, which are videos or audio generated by artificial intelligence to create fake events that appear authentic — it's like Photoshop for audio. The technology has been used to create videos of Barack Obama using foul language and Mark Zuckerberg bragging about stealing "billions of people's data." Some deepfakes are harmless, but others could potentially cause damage by ruining someone's reputation, influencing an election or impacting the response to a pandemic.
Deepfake video of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Credit: @bill_posters_uk/Instagram
According to The Guardian, a person's eyes don't blink regularly on some deepfakes. The lip-syncing and skin tones are also sometimes off. Look closely at the edges of the people in the video; if they're blurry or flickering, it may indicate a manipulated clip. However, deepfakes are improving their weaknesses, and it can be difficult to discern some of the giveaways that normally expose them as fake. In general, if the content is coming from an unfamiliar source, you should always take some time to do a little detective work to determine its legitimacy.
Another issue is that a news story's photo may be authentic, but the information in the article is misreported. To find out the image's real context, look into its origin if you find it suspicious. Perform a reverse image search by copying the link of the image and pasting it into Google's image search tool.
Check First-hand Sources for More Information
Lastly, if you're reading an article and are unsure if the information in it is correct, try looking at original records to do some further sleuthing. A first-hand source, also known as a primary source, is evidence about an event, object, person or work of art, with the material coming from the time period that's being addressed and typically from a person or entity with a direct connection to the information.
Photo Courtesy: PACER
"Primary sources are more credible as evidence," but these sources should also be evaluated. Some examples of first-hand sources include:
- Interviews - Interviewing is one of the key principles of professional journalism. News agencies publish a person's real identity with their direct quotes. Respectable journalists won't jeopardize their jobs by altering quotes or providing misinformation, making these sources credible.
- Press Release - When you want to confirm whether a company's statement was made or event actually happened, go to its website and verified social media accounts for official announcements. Many companies post links to their social media accounts on their sites. You can also visit a press release database such as PR Newswire or Businesswire to find and read these documents.
- Legal Filings - Articles that discuss crimes or legal issues often originate from legal filings. Fortunately, many case files are available to the public on sites such as the U.S. Courts's PACER and the Supreme Court of the United States' official website. Individual states' supreme court websites also often provide case records.
- Other first-hand sources - Diaries, letters, speeches, news film footage, artifacts, research data and scientific journal articles are also some examples of primary sources.
In using this guide, we hope you stay safe online and avoid fake news. It's important to remain vigilant when you're on social media and looking at images, videos and articles. Reminder: If you don't recognize the source and it seems questionable, do some digging to find the truth. You may be surprised by what you learn.
Source: https://www.ask.com/culture/spot-fake-news?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740004%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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