If someone shares an unverified news article believing it to be fact, they might be spreading misinformation, but they don’t know it. Some misinformation is misleading but not false by implying a link between two unrelated claims. For example, “Joe Biden is president and there are more than 50,000 coronavirus deaths in the US” is misleading; while Joe Biden is president (as of February 2021), and there are more than 50,000 coronavirus deaths in the US, there is no correlation between these two claims.
Try to remember it like this: misinformation is often a mistake, while disinformation is deliberate. If someone deliberately creates and shares a false narrative, they’re participating in disinformation.
Fake news is usually spread by special “fake-news outlets,” which are separate organizations and websites designed to spread false, fabricated information.
For instance, an example of a satire article could be something like: “COVID-19 Originated on Mars. ” If someone takes this article seriously and shares it with others, then they’re actively spreading misinformation. A satire article might raise awareness about how bizarre certain COVID-19 stereotypes are.
You can find lists of different fact-checking websites at https://research. ewu. edu/journalism/factcheck and https://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/List_of_fact-checking_websites.
For instance, a fake-news site might have the URL “cbsnews. com. co,” which is obviously fake and not the real CBS news. If a site doesn’t have an “about” or “contact” page, you can assume it’s a fake-news site. You can save an image and reverse-search it to see if it’s a stock photo. Some outlets will also use “false” photos to generate hype for their fake stories. [8] X Research source Bias can be incorporated in a lot of ways. Usually, it’s seen through extra bits of unnecessary writing that feeds on stereotypes and political agendas. [9] X Research source
For instance, a fake news article may write a story about the apocalypse, but reference an article about apocalypse claims from 2012.
Ideally, you’re looking for an author who’s written similar articles for well-established organizations. If the referenced sources don’t back up the article content, then you’re likely reading a fake news piece.
For instance, if you’re cross-checking an article on COVID-19, you’d want to reference it against reputable sources like the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
Articles with titles like “You Won’t Believe This Happened” are good examples of clickbait.
Remind your friends and family to view news reports more critically, too.
