According to the President, tons of fake news’s out there today. While that may not pertain to everything, there are quite a few stories posted to your social media feed that are spreading inaccurate information. Are you trying to figure out how to identify fake news?
We’re here to help you because the last thing you want to do is read the wrong information and tell other people the same things. Not only does this make you feel bad, but it’ll also leave you feeling embarrassed. Read on now to find out everything you need to know when it comes to spotting fake news.
1. Who Posted It?
Before you begin telling everyone that there was an alien sighting on the southside of Los Angeles, the first thing that you need to do is check who posted the information. If the profile responsible for posting the information is known to be a conspiracy theorist or has had a history of posting the wrong information, this is going to be a post that you want to pass on. But, if the information comes from a credible news source or journalist known for their reliable details and evidence to back up what they’re saying, who knows, maybe they did see that alien (we’re kidding).
2. Wait a Couple of Hours
When you see the headlines breaking news, give it a moment. It is always a good idea to wait a couple of minutes or hours for all stories surrounding the event to be published. For example, when the news of Kobe Bryant’s death broke, many reporting social media posted stories that had differing numbers of everyone involved in the plane crash.
But, if you waited for a little while, then you were likely to find a story that had the final count of all the victims. When you latch on to the first story posted about an event, there is a likelihood that the information reported will be inaccurate.
3. Verify the Web Address
We aren’t saying to click on any and every link that you’re presented with on social media. But if you take a moment to look at the web address, you’re going to be able to spot more fake news articles.
That’s not to say that notable news sites don’t at times post fakes news, but I’d rather trust news sites than trust an unknown third-party website that I’ve never heard of before.
Identify Fake News: Don’t Fall For It
When you’re trying to identify fake news, these are just a few of the ways to do so. Checking the source is always going to be one of the tell-tale signs of whether a story is going to be true or not.
If you’re looking to create your own credible articles, or social media marketing strategy, you’re going to want to contact a credible agency for help.