How to know when news is really not news
In a world where information is as accessible as just typing and a single click, it can be easy to get distracted from the truth. In order to tell whats true or not, you don’t need a complex math equation, though. Here are some ways to tell when news isn’t news. I’ll tell you ways of figuring it out, along with an example of fake news.
First off, Look at the URL. Is it a .com, .edu or .gov website, or is it a .com.co? Does the URL begin with the https wording or have the lock icon with it? Looking at the URL can determine a fake from the truth. For example, ABCnews.com.co (Now defunct), includes a .co at the end, but why? Because the version without the .co was already taken by the original, true one.
Secondly, look at the title. Does it make you feel a certain way? How does it make you feel? Does it tug at your heart strings? Does it make you angry? Asking these kinds of questions to yourself can help you determine if news is fake easily. For example, when news broke out that vaccines are “the cause of Autism”, people freaked out and stopped getting vaccinated. But the truth was, despite repeated experiments with vaccines that try to tell the truth about this, there was NO link between vaccines (More specifically the MMR vaccine) and Autism.
If you’re seeing the news on social media, like facebook or twitter, does the accompanying image look more like a meme? Does it use catch words, like OMG? these are also signs of fake news. Real news titles on social media will always likely be short and to the point. I can’t find any examples with a search.
Finally, look at the date. Is it outdated? How long ago was it posted? These can definitely be red flags. For example, If a news article that states the War On Terror is still going on, but the accompanying link shows it was posted in 2015, The person who sent you that was either lying, or the post was taken out of context.
Those were some of the ways fake news can be spotted. There are plenty more ways, but I can’t go into that much detail as of yet. I can, however, post a part 2 sort of thing soon.
