Fake News & How to spot it

We live in a post-truth era. If the COVID 19 pandemic has proved anything it has proven how susceptible we have become to the spreading of fake news.

Many stories contain half-truths and images are doctored to support this. With technology becoming more refined than ever, deep fake videos are convincing and easy to fall for. Then there is concerns around journalistic ethics and the fact that every John and his dog is a reporter these days. All of these factors contribute to a world where it has become hard to see the wood from the trees.

So what tricks can you teach your children to spot fake news and to avoid it from spreading?

1. Critical thinking has become imperative. More than ever before we need to think before we share, react and believe everything we read online. Most fake new stories evoke emotions like anger or outrage. But before you get worked up make sure it is actually true and not just click-bait.
2. Consider the source. Click away from the article and look at where is coming from. Is it a credible source? How long have they been around? Is anyone else reporting this information? If no one else is-it’s sure to be fake.
3. Check the author. Is this a credible person? What is their journalistic background? A while ago I checked the credibility of an article that was doing the rounds on Facebook only to find that the journalist who wrote it had only been on Twitter since that morning. This person is probably not even real.
4. Check your biases. Remember that your own beliefs could affect your judgement and often political propaganda plays on these beliefs.
5. Read deeper than the headline. Oftentimes headlines are sensationalised to grab attention. Make sure to read the whole article before reacting.
6. Don’t Take Images or Videos at Face Value. Images and videos can be manipulated to support fake news. Additionally, they can be used out of context. An image of a car crash could be 100% accurate but it can be of a car crash that happened 10 years ago in a different country. If you are unsure about an image do a Google reverse image search to see where it came from and how old, it is.
7. Check the date. Old news seems to circle back round every now and then to create hype, draw attention and evoke emotion. Be sure it is current new before you spread the word.

Fake News can only be destroyed when it loses its audience. For this to happen us as digital citizens need to know how to spot it, make others aware of it and not spread it.

If you want to become a better digital citizen check out our online courses for kids, teens and parents!