At The Doe – we do all we can to rally against fake news and do all we can to create a trusted and verified news source that does all it can to allow the marginalized to tell their story.
However, we’ve all also come across fake news – stories that have no place on the web other than to lie and trick you into believing a false narrative. They may want you to click on ads running on their website or for you to click on a different story. False stories may also be geared towards spreading political rumors to get people upset. The sharing of information is very easy nowadays. The circulation of these stories happens quickly. This results in fake news.
Fake news varies from absurd stories that people can easily tell aren’t true to more subtle misinformation. The fake news phenomenon has been under scrutiny by professionals in online psychology and media studies. Go through these tips for you not to get duped!
1. Validate The Source
Pay close attention to the website posting the story suggest The Doe. Does it look suspicious? Is the story well written? Are there several other stories or is it the only story? Addresses similar to those of real newspapers are often used by fake news websites. They, however, lack many real stories regarding other topics. If you are uncertain, find the ‘About’ page of the site. This page will give you a definitive description of the organization.
2. Be On The Look Out For Fake Photos
Photo-shopped images are used in lots of fake news stories reveal the Doe. These images may also be pulled from an unrelated site. You can at times see that an image has been changed when you pay close attention to it. Still, you can use tools such as Google Reverse Image search. This tool informs you whether other contexts have used the same image.
3. Find Out Whether The Story Exists Elsewhere
Trying finding the story you are reading in other trustworthy and reputable sites that you know of advising The Doe. In case you find it on a reputable site, then the story may probably not be fake. Still, there are exceptions. Remember, most big news organizations first validate stories through their sources before publishing them.
4. Check For Other Signs
According to The Doe Fake news also uses other techniques such as lots of pop-up ads when clicking on links. They also use ALL CAPS. Don’t forget the feeling that the story gives you. A news story may be probably designed to get under your skin if it’s making you angry.
If you are aware of these matters regarding online news, and you can use them in your day-to-day life, then you have power over the content that you read, what you share, and what you choose to believe. The most valuable advice when you come across a fake news story is: don’t share it!
