How do you recognise fake news?

Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic fake news has been a hot topic. Now with the war in Ukraine and Israel vs. Palestina is the importance of the topic is once more emphasized. Although it seems like fake news is something that recently came to life, misinformation has been active since the beginning of times. However, the boom of social media and the internet has made spreading and creating fake news easier than ever. Anyone can create a fake news article and spread it, and with the reach of social media, such an article can be viewed by millions of people across the globe within no time. It’s not so crazy that people are starting to wonder whether they can distinguish real from fake in the world of social media. In this blog you’ll read some helpful tips on how to recognise fake news.
What is fake news?
Fake news, disinformation, misinformation, and so on and so forth. There are enough names for it, but what does fake news entail? Fake news is wrong information that is deliberately spread as correct information. This type of misinformation can occur in several variants, for example information that is deliberately distorted, taken out of context or completely made up.

Start at the source
The source of the article/video/post is without a doubt one of the first things you should check. Is the source of the article a respected and well-known news channel or is it an Instagram page? When you read articles on a renowned news platform, it’s likely not fake news. Platforms like these often get thoroughly checked on accuracy. However, one should still be critical, even with trustworthy news outlets. Not all social media accounts or users deliberately spread fake news. Some just share information they find funny or interesting without first checking if that information is reliable. Fake news creators know this and use it to their advantage. Fake news articles often provoke a strong emotion or reaction, making them appealing and easy to share. If you’re not sure if the article/video/post you’re viewing is trustworthy, it is wise to check whether this message has been posted on multiple verified news sources. The more reliable sources distribute something, the higher the chance that it is reliable and accurate. If this is not the case, resist the urge to share the information online or with the people around you.
Layout of the message
There are several motives behind creating fake news: as a joke, to gain money/fame, to get revenge or to just cause chaos. All these motives are driven by one thing: attention Keep this in mind when checking the reliability of something. Is the layout of the article flashy? Is the headline very dramatic and does it seem like a message or headline that’s trying to grab attention? Does the message (consciously) evoke a lot of emotions or is it a very biased message? Does the text contain some or many grammatical and/or spelling errors? These factors are major red flags and hint at fake news.
Acknowledge human shortcoming
With the current reach and scale of social media and the internet, fake news is practically inescapable. It’s therefore important that we learn to recognize fake news, but also acknowledge that we’re bound to fall for it at some point in life. Realizing this can make it easier to deal with fake news.
Do you have doubts about the authenticity of a message? We are happy to investigate it for you.