We live in a post-truth world where it is becoming more and more difficult to differentiate between which is real and which is fake news. Here are a few pointers to help you get rid of questionable news sources that somehow seep into our newsfeeds. Read Beyond In this fast moving digital world, writers and publishers are always vying for your attention. To stand out in the crowd, they often deliberately use outrageous headlines just to grab your attention. It has been noticed that most of the time that these sensational headlines have little or nothing to do with the actual news report. Before you jump into a conclusion after reading only the headline, make sure you read the whole story to understand yourself if the news itself is exactly what the outrageous headline claims. Is it a Joke? We have seen it many times people falling for news that are meant to be April fool jokes, comical pieces or even satires. If the news seems too outlandish, it is most likely to be a satire. People often fall for articles from popular satire websites like Onion.com or FakeNews.comand mistake them as the real deal. Before you share such articles, it is always better to research the site and the author to avoid any embarrassments later. Consider the source Many a times, the organization or agency that shares fake news are often affiliated to someone who is most likely to gain from that fake news. Whenever you come across news that feels like to be partial to the vested interests of someone, it is a better idea to click away from the story to investigate the website that carries the news. A quick look of their mission statement as well as their contact info can clear it up for you if that news source is any way affiliated to any person or organization that are likely to gain from that news. Apart from the source, you should also do a quick search of the author to determine if they are real and credible. Check the date Sometimes old news from reputed news sites is shared in order to swing public opinion. These news reports and articles are not necessarily fake news but that doesn’t mean reposting old news stories are relevant to current events and more often than not, these articles are shared with malicious intent. When you read any article, it is a good idea to check the date so that you are aware of its timeline and its relevance today. Check you Biases One of the major reason fake news gets shared a lot because they tend to agree with the bias of many people. We tend to readily agree with a news article that somehow validates our biases and we tend to not believe news that goes against our biases. The role of confirmation bias in the spreading of fake news is well documented. So it is better to consider if your own beliefs are affecting your judgment whilst reading a news story.
