How to recognize fake news 2

 1. Check out the original source.

Don’t assume that a report is true just because lots of other people have shared it, it’s high in search results or it’s trending on a social network: hoaxers can manipulate these measures to spread their version of the story. Instead, open a new tab to go “upstream” and find the original source. This means finding the link to the original story and then going to the to the original story and evaluate it. Some questions to ask when you get to the source:

Did the story really come from the source listed? Instead of just following a link that might take you to a fake website, do a search for the website (or enter its web address if you know it) to double-check.

Does the source for the news have a good track record for accuracy? Do a search to find out what other people say about the source as well.

 Here are some other sites to help you check if the news is fake:

•   Fake Or Real? How To Self-Check The News And Get The Facts

o   A news item from NPR, with tips on how to self-check the news to ensure you're getting a real news story.

•  What are Confirmation Bias Examples?

o   "Confirmation bias is the tendency for people to selectively search for and consider information that confirms already held beliefs. People also tend to reject evidence that contradicts their opinions." This page has some examples of confirmation bias.

•  The Fact Checker’s guide for detecting fake news

o   Clear and quick tips for how to detect fake news, from the Fact Checker section of the Washington Post: "When you read them [articles], pay attention to the following signs that the article may be fake. There are fake news stories generated by both left-leaning and right-leaning websites, and the same rules apply to both."

2. Double-check photos and videos.

Fake photos and videos are some of the most common kinds of misinformation that go around when a big news story happens. Old photos can get shared sometimes, too. Make sure to double-check that a photo or video is current and for real before you spread it any further.

Do a search for the subject with the word’s “hoax” or “scam”, as in “shark subway station hoax”. Take the time to scan the snippets below each result before you click on one to make sure that it’s relevant to what you’re looking for, and open the results in a new tab so you can get back to your original search easily.

For pictures, you can do a search at TinEye (www.tineye.com ) or use a search engine. That will tell you where else the picture has appeared, and show you pictures that are similar (which is a good way to find out if an image has been manipulated).

You can also search on hoax-busting sites like Snopes. Go to www.snopes.com or do a site search, like this: “shark subway station site: www.snopes.com  ” .