Steps to Identify Fake News
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When navigating social media, users should have the resources at their disposal to spot Fake News when it emerges. Although tools exist for these purposes, it is beneficial to have the ability to judge individually whether a source is authentic or not.
Here are a couple of steps recommended to practise when authenticating stories.
Step 1: Who Is the Author and Publisher?
Do a background check on the author and see if they exist. Research into their reputation and see if they have a particular agenda. Also analyse if they have the appropriate qualifications and expertise to speak on their topic.
Similarly you should analyse the publishers platform and see if they are legitimate. Firstly check the web address to see if there is any misspellings and then research it online to see if anyone reported on it being fake.
Step 2: Who Are Their Sources?
Research into the sources referenced in the article and examine if they stand to reason. Check if these sources are from verified publications. If the sources are anonymous or not included, it may be an indication the news is not legitimate.
Step 3: Who Else Covered This Story?
This story about actress Rebel Wilson has few corroborating articles aside from one Daily Telegraph piece explaining its a scam.
When you find articles you find sceptical, research online to see if any other publications have covered it and if they are legitimate. If few other sites covered this story, it is possible it may be fake.
Step 4: What are your Own Biases?
Finally users should reflect on their own biases which may lead to overlook certain inconsistencies. Researchers must approach their analysis with a critical and objective mindset, therefore avoiding their own opinions and political biases interfering in their analysis.
For further information on these procedures see 'How to spot fake news: Identifying propaganda, satire, and false information' (McKenzie, 2023) or '5 ways journalists fact-check stories in the age of fake news' (Chapman, 2024)
The SMELL Test
Another approach advocated by John MacManus is using the SMELL test (MacManus, 2019) on the information within the text by the following steps:
Source: Who is the author of this text?
Motivation: Why is this source telling me this information?
Evidence: What information is used to support these findings?
Logic: Does this information stand to reason and compel logical conclusions?
Left Out: What is not included in the text, whether intentional or not? Which relevant facts and parties are absent which could change the conclusion?
Taking into account all the approaches mentioned, consumers of online media should have the resources to tackle the spread of Fake News.
Reference List
Reference List
Common Sense Media for Families (2017) '5 Ways To Spot Fake News' [video], available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2AdkNH-kWA
iStock (2019) Hacker dark face using laptop stock photo [image], available: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/hacker-dark-face-using-laptop-gm1133604495-300924557 [accessed 16 April 2024]
McManus, J. (2009) Detecting Bull: How to Identify Bias and Junk Journalism in Print, Broadcast and on the Wild Web Paperback, 2nd ed. Sunnyvale, California: The Unvarnished Press
McKenzie, J. (2023) How to spot fake news: Identifying propaganda, satire, and false information, Simon Fraser University, available: https://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/research-assistance/fake-news [accessed 16 April 2024]
Chapman, K. (2024) 5 ways journalists fact-check stories in the age of fake news, Falmouth University, available: https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/news/5-ways-journalists-fact-check-stories-fake-news [accessed 16 April 2024]
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