How to spot fake news

Some are on the Internet just to spread lies, pass on dangerous ideas and even set people against each other. And they also make money by deceiving others. These are the so-called fakes (or fake news) which spread very quickly on social networks.

Here are 6 good tips for unmasking them:

01. Search for spelling or grammar errors, phrases that don’t sound right, titles in capital letters (all in capital letters).

02. Are other websites or newspapers giving the same news? Write the title of the report you saw on a search engine like Google. If you don’t find anyone else talking about it, maybe it’s because the story is not well told.

‍03. Do the authors of the text provide evidence of what they are saying? Do they have good sources? That is a witness who saw everything, a scientific study or an expert on the subject which explains what happened, for example.

‍04. On the website where you read the news, look for something that says “About us” or “Who we are”. Respectful media outlets usually explain who they are, what companies they belong to, what they do. They even give the address and phone number of their offices, or the email of a responsible person so you can contact them. If none of that is there, perhaps it is because the authors of the text may have something to hide.

05. Does the image that illustrates the news seem strange to you? Do you think it has to do with her? Sometimes these fake news sites use sharp images, which are only there to get your attention, but they are either fake or have nothing to do with what you read.

06. See if the text is written as a joke that can be easily verified.

Do you feel angry, suspicious or afraid of what you read? These are really the feelings that cheaters who write "fakes" want to cause in you. Talk to your parents, teachers or another adult you trust, tell them what you saw and ask them to help you with your detective work.