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What is Fake News?
"Fake news is made-up stuff, masterfully manipulated to look like credible journalistic reports that are easily spread online to large audiences willing to believe the fictions and spread the word." - PolitiFact
AKA Misinformation or Disinformation
Misinformation and disinformation are forms of fake news, and both pose a risk to their targets and their audiences.
Misinformation is any kind of wrong or false information shared without the intent of misleading anyone.
Disinformation is knowingly spreading misinformation with the intent to mislead people.
Fake news can come in a variety of forms:
Stories that are completely made-up and designed to make people believe something false.
Stories that have some truth, but aren't 100 percent accurate. For example, a famous entertainer takes a picture with co-star and suddenly they are in a romantic relationship.
However...
There are also people who claim that real news is fake news, just because they don't agree with or like what's being reported.
Where does Fake News come from?
Fake news is not new, and because social media platforms allow almost anyone to publish their thoughts or share stories to the world, it's everywhere.
In addition, since most people don't check the source of the material that they view online before they share it, fake news spreads quickly, and many times goes viral.
Fake News and the workplace
Not all fake news stories are found online. Co-workers who gossip in the break room and print publications without first checking their facts, for example, are also guilty of spreading misinformation.
Some employees might start to believe that they no longer need facts to back up their arguments. Others might start to mistrust information all together. Individuals could stop listening to industry news or reports, and disengage entirely, slowing their own professional growth and development.
Fake news can affect behavior, too. It encourages people to invent excuses, to dismiss others' ideas, to exaggerate the truth, and to spread rumors. This can create divided, anxious workplaces where people are cynical and unsure of who to trust.
Today’s employers are actively seeking people with strong digital information literacy skills who can demonstrate the ability to research, organize and synthesize information, which can be shared with colleagues and key stakeholders. And these expectations are no longer limited to “desk jobs.” Digital information literacy skills are essential for many types of positions. For example, consider the small business owner who manages an e-commerce site, fulfills online orders and promotes the brand on social media platforms — all via smartphone.
Spot Fake News
Separating fact from fiction accurately can seem overwhelming and time consuming. But getting to the truth is always worth the effort – even if it's not what you want to hear!
Use these six steps to weed out the truth from the lies
1. Develop a critical mindset
One of the main reasons fake news is such a big issue is that it is often believable. Many fake news stories are also written to create "shock" value and an emotional response.
This means it's essential that you keep your emotions in check. Instead, approach what you see and hear calmly and with a critical eye .
Ask yourself, "Why has this story been written? Is it to persuade me of a certain viewpoint? Is it selling me a particular product? Or is it trying to get me to click through to another website?"
2. Check the source
If you come across a story from a source that you've never heard of before, do some digging! Find out a bit more about the publisher – is it a professional and well-known news agency or is it someone's personal blog?
Check the URL of the page, too. (A URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, is a web address that helps browsers to find a site on the internet.) Strange-sounding URLs that end in extensions like ".infonet" and ".offer," rather than ".com" or ".co.uk," or that contain spelling errors, may mean that the source is suspect.
If the information is something that you've been told by another person, consider their reputation and professional experience. Are they known for their expertise on the matter? Or do they tend to exaggerate the truth?
Tip: Trusted online sources like Snopes can help you to verify stories that sound too good to be true.
3. Who else is reporting the story?
Check whether the story has been picked up by other well-known news publishers. Stories from organizations like Reuters, CNN and the BBC, will have been checked and verified beforehand. If the information you have isn't from a well-known source like these, there's a chance that it could be fake.
However, you need to be careful even here. People who spread fake news and "alternative facts" sometimes create web pages, newspaper mockups, or "doctored" images that look official, but aren't.
So, if you see a suspicious post that looks like it's from CNN, for example, check CNN's homepage to verify that it's really there.
4. Examine the evidence
A credible news story will include plenty of facts – quotes from experts, survey data and official statistics, for example. If these are missing or the source is an unknown expert or a "friend," question it!
Does the evidence prove that something definitely happened? Or, have the facts been "twisted" to back up a particular viewpoint?
5. Look for fake images
Modern editing software has made it easy for people to create fake images that look professional and real. In fact, research shows that only half of us can tell when images are fake.
However, there are some warning signs you can look out for. Strange shadows on the image, for example, or jagged edges around a figure. If you still have doubts, you can use tools such as Google Reverse Image Search to check whether the image has been altered or used in the wrong context.
6. Check that it "sounds right"
Finally, use your common sense! If a story sounds unbelievable, it probably is. Bear in mind that fake news is designed to "feed" your biases or fears. And, remember, just because a story sounds "right" and true, doesn't mean that it is.
For example, it's unlikely that your favorite designer brand is giving away a million free dresses to people who turn up to its stores. Equally, just because your colleague believes that two married co-workers are having an affair, doesn't mean it's true.
Tip: Some stories that you'll encounter will sound "wrong," but won't necessarily be fake news. They could be intentional satire, for example, or something that comes from a humorous website, like The Onion or The Daily Mash, for example.
Warning: If these tips suggest that the information that you have is fake, or if you have any doubts about it, avoid sharing it with others. Doing so could lead to rumors spreading and may harm your professional credibility.
Educate Yourself
Do you understand the media and how much it controls how you view the world?
View this miniseries and arm yourself with the information you need to take back control.
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Created with images by Unknown - "Office desk | Free stock psd mockup - 1208624" • alexkich - "The concept of modern information technology. Fake and facts in the news. The letters spelled the word fake." • ROBIN WORRALL - "I heard recently that the average person scrolls the height of Big Ben in a day. Whilst waiting for a delayed train in Bath I spotted this line of hands on phones – all endlessly scrolling." • John Schnobrich - "what’s going on here" • Brooke Cagle - "untitled image" • Unknown - "Free stock photo of blur, board game, challenge" • Scott Graham - "Brainstorming over paper" • Unknown - "The Washington Post Article That Almost Wasn’t – Danny ..." • Unknown - "Royalty Free Validation Stock Photos | rawpixel" • sarandy westfall - "Snapshots of My Travels" • Unknown - "One Man's Transformative Journey Reminds Us: To Battle ..." • Unknown - "Fake News Media · Free photo on Pixabay" • Unknown - "education process | Why is Education a Must For Everyone ..." • Kaitlyn Baker - "untitled image" • Anna Demianenko - "woman with blue nails reading ipad" • Joao Tzanno - "The three wise monkeys"