6 Ways to Protect Yourself Against Fake News
If there’s one thing the Internet will never lack, it’s information. The more crucial challenge is figuring out if the data we consume is correct or can be trusted. Nowadays, when facts are often buried deeper than that last bottle of hand sanitizer on the supermarket shelf, discerning the accurate from the erroneous is critical.
Why Fake News is Dangerous
Wikipedia has its own definition of fake news sites (including a subset just for Philippine-based ones!), as does Politifact. Broadly put, they are sites that publish hoaxes or misleading information with the intention to drive web traffic. In the case of COVID-19, spreading fake news can create the ripple effect of people making potentially life-changing decisions based on inaccurate or false data.
So how can you protect yourself from fake news?
1. Consider the Source: the CRAP test
According to educator Molly Beestrum, use this handy acronym to check news sources:
C – Is it CURRENT?
Check the dates of articles—is the information current?
How long has the site been in existence? How often is it updated?
Is the contact information legitimate?
R – Is it RELIABLE?
What kind of information is available? Is the content primarily opinions? Does the source provide their own data or quotations?
A – Who is the AUTHORITY?
What are the credentials of the author? Are they reputable? Are there clearly marked advertisements on the site?
P – What is the PURPOSE/POV?
Does the author seem to push an agenda or do they cite references? Is the author trying to sell you something? Does the piece have a specific bias for/against the topic?
2. Watch out for masquerading sources. Some websites mimic the URLs of legitimate news sites and add “com.co” or “com.info.” There are also sites that allow outside writers to post for them, that don’t necessarily go through the same editing process (e.g., Buzzfeed Community Posts).
3. Read beyond the headlines. We get it—scrolling through socials, it’s easier to consume more news just by reading the headlines. An old study from 2016 claims 59% of links shared on Twitter have never actually been clicked before they were retweeted. Even legitimate news sites can over-sensationalize their headlines to make them more shareable. However, with only the headlines, we never get the full story.
4. Ask the Experts Look for resources whose aim is solely to sniff out fact from fiction. Here are a few:
- Factcheck Philippines is a coalition of independent groups and individuals who aim to combat fake news and misinformation in the country
- Snopes started out as a site to verify urban legends, hoaxes, and folklore, but has since evolved into the Internet’s oldest fact-checking resource
- The Verification Handbook is a hardcore resource specific for journalists, calling itself “a definitive guide to verifying digital content for emerging coverage”
- Others: The Wayback Machine, FotoForensics, and Google Reverse Image Search can double-check web pages and photos
5. Be skeptical by nature. If something is too good to be true, it likely is. Inversely, if something sounds terrible, proceed reading with caution.
6. Read more than one source. The best strategy against fake news: Go through multiple sources to get a general feel of the facts, as well as different viewpoints to inform your own opinion.
We can’t stop the flood of information. But we can curate our sources, think critically of what’s presented, and be responsible about the information we consume and disseminate. Let’s not be a virus to everyone on our feeds and spread harmful, incorrect information.
Other sources:
Zimdars, Melissa. Real News vs Fake News
Keepin’ It Real: Tips & Strategies for Evaluating Fake News