Five dead giveaways that what you’re reading is ‘fake news
Five dead giveaways that what you’re reading is ‘fake news’
When you know these stories are designed to manipulate you, they’re easier to spot
By Mark Huffman, ConsumerAffairs, December 5 2016
Photo (c) nmarques74 - Fotolia
Entertainer Elton John was compelled to shoot down two reports going viral on the internet over the weekend.
To set the record straight, John said he isn't retiring and he is not performing at Donald Trump's inaugural. But neither report was strictly part of so-called “fake news,” which has gained so much attention since the election.
The Elton John retirement report was simply a rumor reported by a British newspaper. The Trump inaugural story actually came from someone on the Trump transition team who misspoke.
Genuine fake news is something else entirely and has one goal – to get readers to click on links.
"We are seeing a return to how political coverage was in the 1800s – almost all of it was partisan," said Fred Blevens, a communications professor at Florida International University. "Our founding fathers made sure that all political speech was protected – even the erroneous and misleading. In the context of politics, you can say just about anything and you don't have to back it up."
Blevins says there are a few things that news consumers can do to spot fake news making the rounds on the internet. Among them – don't get all your news and information from one source. Take the time to consult different sources.
To help you tell “fake news” from the real journalism that may or may not be accurate, here are five dead giveaways.
The story headline starts with “you won't believe”
When a headline proclaims “you won't believe” or contains words like “shocking,” the writer is throwing out a morsel known as “clickbait.” The hope is the reader will be so intrigued to find out what is so unbelievable or shocking that he or she will open the story.
The story itself does not have to contain much meat. The headline has already done its job. If you click on the link, the site publishing the information gets a little ad revenue.
The story confirms one of your cherished beliefs or fears
Internet tools are pretty sophisticated, and it's not hard to figure out whether someone is a liberal or conservative. To rack up the most clicks, purveyors of “fake news” will tempt liberals with stories about some outrage by Donald Trump and conservatives will see all kinds of stories about Hillary Clinton and President Obama's latest atrocities.
Scary fake news is also effective at getting clicks. So when you see headlines about some individual predicting the end of the world, chances are that its facts are a little shaky.
The subject of the story is a celebrity or high profile politician
That leads us to the third tip off. Many times “fake news” is about a celebrity or politician because the writers know people will click to learn the latest dirt about them.
There have been headlines, purposefully misleading, to suggest a particular celebrity has died, when in fact they are alive and well.
The story does not cite any credible sources
This is perhaps the biggest tip-off of all. A legitimate news story will be based on information provided by a credible source. It should quote someone with some authority stating that something is true and offer something to back it up.
“Fake news” often cites no source and simply states an opinion. And it's usually out there by itself. If no other news outlet is reporting the same thing, it's a safe bet what you're reading has just been made up in order to get you to click.
The story was emailed to you by one of your friends
Who hasn't received an email chain from a friend with a link to a story, breathlessly saying “you've got to read this?” It's one way “fake news” goes viral.
Usually the friend has taken the bait hook, line, and sinker because the story appears to confirm something they already believe.
If you're unsure something you've read is true, Blevins suggests sites like Snopes.com, PolitiFact.com, and Google as fact checkers.
Mark Huffman has been a consumer news reporter for ConsumerAffairs since 2004. He covers real estate, gas prices and the economy and has reported extensively on negative-option sales. He was previously an Associated Press reporter and editor in Washington, D.C., a correspondent for Westwoood One Radio Networks and Marketwatch.
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In the past there was just bias, now the news is intenionally used as a weapon, intended to mislead the reader.
Buzz, Donald Trump's choice for the National Security Adviser , a position previously held by people like Henry Kissinger and Condoleeza Rice , has on numerous occasions retweeted and promoted fake news stories and conspiracy theories. His son, who works for him, was just today fired by the Trump transition team for spreading fake news and conspiracies on social media.
Should Trump fire the father, General Michael Flynn, who has also promoted fake news stories on social media?
Should Trump fire himself? He also spread false "facts" and conspiracies on social media.
I agree with your comment, John. We just don't know who or what to believe any more - but I do not limit that to just one political party or issue.
Michael Flynn has been chosen for a high position in the government and is KNOWN to have promoted fake news and conspiracies on social media. Should he be denied the position in the new government?
You see them on NT quite often.
Daily, in fact.
Gleefully posted by whatever member wishes to further an agenda... It's sad, really!
We have such a wonderful opportunity here to discuss and talk to others with differing points of view, and here we sit, trying to distinguish if what we're reading is real or fake... What a waste of time!
There are only a few people who post fake news here, and only one agenda. We all know that.
Let's stop with this incessant "both sides do it" nonsense.
"Let's stop with this incessant "both sides do it" nonsense."
With that I cannot agree. I believe fake news covers the waterfront, and although I know you would never in a thousand years admit that you may have posted some such thing, I admit that I may have unintentionally and naively done so.
Buzz, I am sure that in the course of seeding thousands of articles, some of them were false or partially false. I think the number is small, and is almost non-existent when compared to people who regularly post stories that are debunked the same day by fact checkers and conspiracy debunkers.
You are caught up in the idea of "equivalency" across the political spectrum, when there is no such equivalency. The right uses fake news much more often and may have won the election for trump with it.
"The right uses fake news much more often and may have won the election for trump with it."
Do you have a source for that that can't possibly be a fake news story?
John, I wasn't pointing fingers-- not saying both sides do it. I was simply not pointing fingers. The people who deliberately post fake news articles know who they are.
Get off my ass, or please, leave me alone. I'm pretty tired of having to read your nasty comments to me. Your disappointment in me as a "liberal" is only equalled by my disappointment in you as a friend.
My comments to you are not nasty, or you have a very low bar.
I am tired of hearing people say that both sides do this or both sides do that. If you don't think such a description ever applies to you then good for you.
Refraining from pointing fingers at anyone is NOT the same thing as saying "everybody does it". Do you have a reading comprehension problem?
Yes, my bar for nastiness is low. I'm fed up with the constant snark on this site between members. If you're angry at someone else, don't take it out on me.
Again, please leave me alone.
"...it's usually out there by itself. If no other news outlet is reporting the same thing,..."
This is the only thing I question. There are so many private "wordpress" or other sites that rerun the stories that there could be pages of sites repeating the same fake news story.
If it's sourced from addictinginfo, occupydemocrats or one of their companion sites, it's fake news.
There are plenty of sites on the other side of the aisle that publishes fake news, too.