News Faker than a Nigerian Prince Wanting to Give you Money
Fake news. News that is fake. Fake news is news that is meant to mislead or to spread false information for one reason or another. If you want to avoid fake news, and who doesn't, the best way to do so is to consider the source, read beyond the headlines, check the author, check out those supporting sources, check the publication date, make sure it isn't a joke, consider if your own beliefs could affect your judgement, and finally ask an expert or consult a fact-checking site. I myself don't always believe what I read on the internet, I like to fact check and take into account the absurdity of the claims made. For example there was one "news piece" that stated that the prime minister of Australia was shot by a reptile. For that one you just have to look at it and use common sense to realize that it's fake news. There are other pieces though that you've really gotta think about and take a look at other sources for.
I really do believe that there are advantages in using the points to determine whether or not an article is fake news or not is important. As ignorance really isn't bliss. If you aren't aware that you are reading fake news, you will not be informed of the truth. There's also the chance that you use this fake news as a source for some work, an essay for example. From that the entire basis of your essay would be incorrect, your mark would drop, and your teacher would think that you're an idiot cause you used that one source about dinosaurs taking over the world with lasers. For your sake please be aware of fake news.
Another 8 suggestions I use when I'm looking for credible news online are to check out the credibility of the website itself, I'll let you know that if you're on a conspiracy site, you're doing it wrong. Secondly always use common sense, it's your best friend in that regard, don't just believe everything you hear without using your head. Third, I would recommend to check out is the writing style, if this boy is out here with spelling mistakes upon spelling mistake, using the wrong 'there', and just writing with no sense of grammar, that's a red flag. Fourthly, you should always check the author's sources, just because you're using them as a source doesn't mean you should check their sources. Next, check for the biases in the article or report, the more bias that's evident the more likely it's a piece of fake news. I would also recommend that you always cross-reference the facts you get from an article, for example you get one piece of information, you should google around and make sure that it's an agreed upon fact. Seventh on my list is to check the author and make sure that they themselves are a credible source. Lastly I recommend to ask someone else, they don't exactly have to be an expert on the topic but another opinion is always welcomed help.
I really do believe that there are advantages in using the points to determine whether or not an article is fake news or not is important. As ignorance really isn't bliss. If you aren't aware that you are reading fake news, you will not be informed of the truth. There's also the chance that you use this fake news as a source for some work, an essay for example. From that the entire basis of your essay would be incorrect, your mark would drop, and your teacher would think that you're an idiot cause you used that one source about dinosaurs taking over the world with lasers. For your sake please be aware of fake news.
Another 8 suggestions I use when I'm looking for credible news online are to check out the credibility of the website itself, I'll let you know that if you're on a conspiracy site, you're doing it wrong. Secondly always use common sense, it's your best friend in that regard, don't just believe everything you hear without using your head. Third, I would recommend to check out is the writing style, if this boy is out here with spelling mistakes upon spelling mistake, using the wrong 'there', and just writing with no sense of grammar, that's a red flag. Fourthly, you should always check the author's sources, just because you're using them as a source doesn't mean you should check their sources. Next, check for the biases in the article or report, the more bias that's evident the more likely it's a piece of fake news. I would also recommend that you always cross-reference the facts you get from an article, for example you get one piece of information, you should google around and make sure that it's an agreed upon fact. Seventh on my list is to check the author and make sure that they themselves are a credible source. Lastly I recommend to ask someone else, they don't exactly have to be an expert on the topic but another opinion is always welcomed help.
I agree with you Shermaan about the the different ways to identify a fake news. Even though many fake news can comply with the guidelines you have stated, it may not seem very credible. The website may be a very sketchy website with advertisements about buying a pill to grow taller in height. It is always good to look if a website is credible because as Shermaan stated, you may be using it for an essay or an important project. So it is good to know if the sources are genuine and real. P.S. Nigeria doesn't have princes, it is a democratic country.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statements Shermaan. To avoid fake news it is always a good idea to site the source and figure out whether or not it's credible. It is always important to know the right answer especially when it comes to news. Fake news misleads you to believe what is wrong. I believe the methods you stated to find out whether or not the source is credible can indeed be used. Having someone to second your findings will always benefit you as you will have several opinions on the subject.
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