Fake news: Tips on how to distinguish it from the real thing
MONDAY, FEB 13, 2017 09:45 AM EST
CAROLYN THOMPSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS SKIP TO COMMENTS
TOPICS: FROM THE WIRES, NEWS, POLITICS NEWS
Teachers from elementary school through college are
instructing students on how to decipher fact from fiction when it comes to online news, after an election season that saw made-up stories abound. Some of their lessons:
URL look odd? That com.co ending on an otherwise authentic-looking website is a red flag. When in doubt, click on the contact and about links to see where they lead. A major news organization probably isnt headquartered in a house.
Does it make you mad? False reports often target emotions with claims of outlandish spending or unpatriotic words or deeds. If common sense tells you it cant be true, it may not be.
If its real, other news sites are likely reporting it.
How is the writing? Caps lock and multiple exclamation points dont have a place in most real newsrooms.
Who are the writers and the people in the story? Google names for clues to see if they are legitimate, or not.
What are fact-checking sites like Snopes.com and FactCheck.org finding?
It might be satire. Sometimes foolish stories arent really meant to fool.
Think twice before sharing. Today, everyone is a publisher.
http://www.salon.com/2017/02/13/fake-news-tips-on-how-to-distinguish-it-from-the-real-thing/