1. Read the whole news, not just the headline
A few years ago, The Science Post published the news that 70% of Facebook users only read the headline of science stories before commenting on them, saying that 70% of Facebook users only read the headline of science stories before sharing such materials and leaving comments. This data was not supported by research, and the article itself consisted of Lorem ipsum filler text, which is commonly used in page layout. Nevertheless, readers willingly raschalochnaya news: at the time when an unusual publication noticed 6 in 10 of you will share this link without reading it, a new, depressing study says / The Washington Post publication, she shared 46,000 times, and now the number of reposts approaching 200 thousand. Soon, however, the authors' conjectures were confirmed. For example, scientists from Columbia University and the French National Institute found out that 59% of the links people shared on Twitter were never actually opened.
Article writers can take advantage of this human characteristic and come up with provocative headlines for articles to increase clicks and reposts. As a rule, such news stories promise to tell about a sensation, a disaster, a scandal involving celebrities. But upon close reading it may turn out that the headline distorts the meaning of the information or even contradicts it.
2. investigate the source of the news
It is important to check who published the data. If you see news on a personal blog or a newly created site, don't trust this information unquestioningly. Check the details of the portal - registration, editorial staff, URL. Fake sources can copy the site design and logo of a large media outlet, but change only one letter in the address.
In social networks, you're not immune to fakes, either. For example, a fake Telegram channel can pass itself off as the official account of an authoritative publication. Such a source can not only spread false news, but also engage in fraud - for example, to announce a fundraiser. As a rule, media outlets put links to their social media accounts on their websites: check if they match the source where you found the news. On Instagram, there may be a blue verification icon next to the page name, which means that the account is authentic.
3. Specify the primary source
Go to the original source of the news and see who reported it: official bodies (such as the city administration), an authoritative expert, or an anonymous witness. If there are no references in the article, and the author uses expressions like "scientists say" or "everyone knows that," but does not cite specific experts or studies, then he is either deliberately distorting the facts, or passing off his fantasies as reality.
Be careful of the date - sometimes the media publishes mock articles on April 1. In addition, there are sites on the Web that specialize specifically in absurd news. They usually do not try to present their publications at face value, but in the enormous flow of news the reader may not be able to distinguish the truth from fiction. Sometimes even serious media can inattentively reprint a joke and mistake it for truth.
4. pay attention to the language of the publication
Fake news first and foremost appeals to your emotions. The more emotional the information, the more likely it is that a person will not analyze it. In a competent journalistic material, there must be a balance of opinions. If the text presents the point of view of one side, and the author is clearly sympathetic to it, it is better to seek another source.
The facts in the news should be presented as neutrally as possible, without emotional appeals or evaluative statements of the author. If you feel that what you read evokes hatred, panic or fear, it is possible that they are trying to manipulate you.
5. Don't trust photos and videosThey can also be faked. If someone has posted a photo before, you can check it with a Google or Yandex picture search. It's possible that the events in the picture took place not where the article says they did, but in another place and at another time.
Take a closer look at the image: what happens to the perspective and shadows of the objects, there is no difference in brightness and contrast in different areas. You can enlarge the photo in a graphic editor. Often photoshoppers combine two images of different size - then when you enlarge one picture will be more grainy than the othe
With video it is more complicated: dipshakes, which appear thanks to artificial intelligence, are extremely difficult to distinguish from the original. If you see a famous person saying something sensational and provocative, you should be wary. The video could be a fake, or a clever montage that distorts the meaning of the statement. Some videos can be found by keywords on YouTube - there is a chance that you will find the original recording and find out what the hero of the video actually sai
6. Look for information from other source
Often the authors of fakes refer to major media outlets, including foreign ones, to make material more credible. Try searching for the original publication and find out (with the help of an online translator if necessary) if the information is correct. If the article mentions an expert, you can also Google him or her: it is possible that the author simply made him or her up
If the news is of interest to you, look for sources that will cover the event from different angles. That way you have a better chance of seeing an objective pictur
7. Be careful on social media
Fake pages can serve as news sources. To figure out the fake, pay attention to when the account was created, whether the user uploaded photos and videos, whether he has friends and followers. Lack of information about yourself, a picture of kittens on the avatar, and an empty friend list can all indicate that the account is fake. You should not trust such a source
But even if you read the news from a famous blogger, it should be double-checked. After all, the author may not have expert knowledge on some issue and mislead subscribers. Sometimes accidentally, and sometimes intentionally..a.e..s.d.r.
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