You've probably heard hundreds of times about fake news, fake news or fake news. Unfortunately, they have been appearing more and more due to the development of social networks and the rapid means of dissemination that we have today. So today we tell you exactly what they are and some tips to detect them. Don't miss it!
what is a fake?
Fake is an anglicism that is currently used in the digital world to refer to anything that is shown with the intention of appearing authentic, but is a falsification or imitation of reality.
The term fake comes from English and means 'false', and although it was initially used mainly in the area of information technology, its use has spread and continues to spread throughout the digital sphere, especially in social networks and online media.
what types of fake news exist?
Fake news is fake news that someone creates and shares to make money, to manipulate, to discredit someone or simply to have fun. Fake news misrepresents reality and is spread mainly through social networks and instant messaging. Check out the types that exist!
- Cyber hoaxes: Cyber hoaxes (or "click bait") refer to stories deliberately designed to get more visitors to a website and increase advertising revenue for website owners, usually at the expense of truth and accuracy.
- Propaganda: This refers to false or distorted stories written to mislead the audience and push a political agenda or biased perspective.
- Shoddy journalism: Sometimes bad journalists do not have the time to check all the facts before publishing, resulting in genuine errors becoming fake news .
- Misleading headlines: Sometimes a story may be largely true, but a misleading or sensational headline is used to entice readers to click through. This can lead to fake news, as usually only the headline and a few small snippets of the article are displayed on social media and can quickly spread from there.
- Impostor content - this occurs when a person or group of people impersonate a genuine news source and share false or fabricated stories to mislead or confuse the general audience.
- Satire or parody. Some fake news is published for entertainment purposes. For example, satire stories use humour, irony or exaggeration to joke about the news or celebrities. These stories are not intended to mislead the audience, as they are not meant to be taken seriously. Notable examples of satire websites include The Onion and The Daily Mash.
9 tips for spotting fake news
- Read the whole story, not just the headline.
- Check out the author- research them to see if they have credibility, e.g. are they real, do they have a good reputation, do they write about their specific area of expertise, do they have a particular intention, consider what the writer's motivation might be, find out the source, and check the web address of the site you are visiting.
- Find out the source - check the web address of the page you are visiting. Fake news sites sometimes have typos in the URL or use unconventional domain extensions such as ".infonet" or ".offer". If you are unfamiliar with the site, check the "About Us" section. And if it is also a typical WhatsApp network string with no authorship or link, be wary and preferably do not share it.
- Google the headline - if it's true, it's likely to have been reproduced by other reliable media; if it's false, some fact-checking sites may have found it to be a false rumour.
- Look for the facts that are cited.
- Check the context - for example, look and check the date of publication. Taking a story out of context and reporting it on a different date is also a form of disinformation.
- Keep a critical mindset. Many fake news stories are cleverly written to provoke strong emotional reactions such as fear or anger. Keep a critical mindset and ask yourself, for example, why was the story written, is it promoting a particular agenda or cause, is it trying to get you to click through to another website, is it trying to get you to click through to another website, is it trying to get you to click through to another website, is it trying to get you to click through to another website, is it trying to get you to click through to another website, is it trying to get you to click through to another website?
- Check the comments on the news item - even if the article or video is legitimate, the comments below may not be. Often links or comments posted in response to the content are self-generated by bots or people hired to post misleading or confusing information.
- Check if images are authentic. Images you see on social media could be edited or manipulated. Some possible signs include distortion (straight lines in the background that look wobbly), as well as strange shadows, cropped edges or skin tones that are too perfect. Also note that an image could be accurate, but simply used in a misleading context. You can use tools like Google reverse image search to check where an image came from and whether it has been altered.
