Ways to spot false news on Facebook Weekend Plus Desk
20 March 2020
A recent research conducted by Dhaka Tribune and the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) called the Libertas Project said that 41 per cent of respondents considered social media as their most trusted source of news. And one of the most trusted sources of news is now Facebook.
Unfortunately, we are still seeing a number of false news being posted on the internet. And when people share these made-up stories and treat them as true, we could actually be causing people to make misinformed decisions.
Facebook takes fighting misinformation very seriously and we are putting this top priority as we want to make sure that people have access to reliable and accurate information on Facebook.
Here are 10 easy ways for people to use to spot false news:
Be skeptical of headlines
False news stories often have catchy headlines in all caps with exclamation points. If shocking claims in the headline sound unbelievable, they probably are.
Look closely at the link
A phony or look-alike link may be a warning sign of false news. Many false news sites mimic authentic news sources by making small changes to the link. You can go to the site to compare the link to established sources.
Investigate the source
Ensure that the story is written by a source that you trust with a reputation for accuracy. If the story comes from an unfamiliar organisation, check their ‘About’ section to learn more.
Watch for unusual formatting
Many false news sites have misspellings or awkward layouts. Read carefully if you see these signs.
Consider the photos.
False news stories often contain manipulated images or videos. Sometimes the photo may be authentic, but taken out of context. You can search for the photo or image to verify where it came from.
Inspect the dates
False news stories may contain timelines that make no sense, or event dates that have been altered.
Check the evidence
Check the author’s sources to confirm that they are accurate. Lack of evidence or reliance on unnamed experts may indicate a false news story.
Look at other reports
If no other news source is reporting the same story, it may indicate that the story is false. If the story is reported by multiple sources you trust, it's more likely to be true.
Is the story a joke?
Sometimes false news stories can be hard to distinguish from humor or satire. Check whether the source is known for parody, and whether the story's details and tone suggest it may be just for fun.
Some stories are intentionally false
Think critically about the stories you read, and only share news that you know to be credible. n
