Can you spot fake news? Use these 6 tips to fact-check and identify misinformation online
The term “fake news” has been widely used by critics of news organizations to discredit and invalidate information they do not agree with. Since then, misinformation, or so-called disinformation campaigns, have taken root on social media.
There are a host of disinformation campaigns that are related to COVID-19, civil rights efforts the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and any presidential administration.
Statista, a market and consumer data company, reports that only 26% of Americans are confident in their ability to spot fake news while 67% believe that misinformation leads to widespread confusion. Another study by Statista shows that as a result of misinformation, trust in traditional news sources has gone down by 18% since 2016.
Whether scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram or having a conversation about politics with family and friends, it’s important to be on the lookout for misinformation. Try adopting these six tips to stay accurately informed on trending topics.
Be wary of unfamiliar news sources
It’s not uncommon for independently run blogs to brand themselves as news outlets. Logos, brand, and other marketing elements can make a site look more legitimate than it really is.
Generally speaking, unauthorized news outlets which are not recognized by the Federal Communications Commission lack a system of checks and balances. That means these outlets are free to post whatever they want without consequence. That includes information designed to confuse and sway readers.
Be sure to pay attention to the URL of a site before putting your trust in it. Sometimes perpetrators will attempt to disguise themselves as major news outlets like CNN or ABC News. In that case, you’ll notice that the web address of the site looks abnormal because it contains an extra letter or an unnecessary number.
Review commentary on the post
If you’re lucky, the internet will have already done the hard work for you. Before sharing photos and videos related to world events, be sure to check the comment section for other users who have already managed to prove the content to be inaccurate.
In many cases, journalists from verified accounts, news outlets, and even social media platforms will call out misinformation and give complete context.
Use fact-checking resources
If you’re worried that the media you share might not be completely accurate, use independent fact-checking resources. Websites like Snopes, PolitiFact, and Fact Checker by The Washington Post specialize in sorting fact from fiction when certain topics are trending.
Stay up to date on world news
It would be difficult for fake news perpetrators to fool you if you were already on to them. Keeping educated on global news can help add an extra layer of caution.
For instance, if you’re aware that Russia has ramped up their disinformation campaign efforts in the last few weeks, you’re probably more likely to stay alert.
More than that, if you’re educated on the nuances of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict, you can easily spot propaganda that might aim to garner sympathy for Russian leaders while simultaneously disparaging the Ukrainian government.
Learn how to spot bots and fabricated profiles
As technology advances, so do the hidden dangers that come with it. One of the most common ways for misinformation to spread, especially within the U.S., is through social media bot accounts and fake profiles. By knowing the red flags to look out for, you can avoid being fooled by these accounts which are intentionally designed to mislead and misinform.
A fake profile often will have a very generic and fabricated feel to it. The user’s bio might seem insincere and you will notice that these accounts typically only post about one subject matter.
For instance, if a bot posing as a doctor is launched to spread misinformation about the pandemic, the profile will include a bio filled with bogus credentials. The account will have very few followers, and you’ll see the account was only just recently made. Additionally, you may notice that the feed only contains repetitive rhetoric related to COVID-19.
Sometimes during election season, bots will pose as the average “Joe” or “Jane.” They’ll adopt the persona of a blue-collar worker, a mom from Indiana, or maybe even a retired veteran. Their feeds are usually filled with strong opinions about current events which aim to target and persuade a specific audience.
One Twitter user, who claims to be a “Christian, husband, father of 4, Army vet and father of 2 soldiers,” joined the platform in June of 2020 and has since dedicated their feed to tweeting about COVID-19 to their 61 followers.
In one of 3,000 tweets since 2020, the otherwise anonymous user posted the following:
“The Covid shot is a globe [sic] of synthetic materials. Fastest any vaccine has been mumps [sic] in the 1960s.”
Another user claims to be a 30-year-career Army veteran and a 53-year old retired husband, father, and grandfather. The Twitter account was created in December of 2016 after Donald Trump won the presidency.
The user went on to spend the next four years regularly posting strong opinions about American politics, including stating that “Biden is a lifelong racial bigot, a serial plagiarist, and buffoonish liar.”
Coincidentally, the account has not published any tweets since the fall of 2020, around the same time former President Trump lost the 2020 presidential election.
Other than the content from an account, another easy way to tell if a profile is fake is by looking at the photo the user has displayed on the profile. Typically, bots are focused on the speed at which they can distribute misinformation and put very little effort into the account’s branding. That means if you look closely, you’ll notice flaws in the crafting of the profile.
Most of the time, the profile photo on a bot account will look very generic. Some bots even streamline the process of finding the perfect photo to use by utilizing photos of people who do not really exist. Such photos are generated entirely by artificial intelligence.
If you look closely at these photos, you’ll see flaws in the background. That is because the AI used to generate the photos only knows how to generate a face, not a background.
Mute or unfollow repeat offenders
The most effective way to minimize the appearance of fake news on your feed is to remove people who share it too often. Because unfriending or unfollowing someone might seem too harsh to some users, subtly muting people who share fake news consistently will keep their content off your feed without notifying them of the change.
Of course, the option of civil discussion regarding their sharing of misinformation could be worth exploring. It is likely they are unaware they are participating in a disinformation campaign at all.
