Fed up with the spread of fake news? Well, here are a few survival tips…
1. First and foremost, what is fake news? There are two kinds of fake news: a) stories that aren’t true, that is entirely invented stories designed to make people believe something false; b) stories that have some truth, but aren’t 100 percent accurate. For example, a journalist or a social media user—whether deliberately or by mistake—quotes only part of what a politician says, giving a false impression of their meaning.
2. Although fake news makes headlines today, it is actually nothing new. But, what is new is how easy it’s become to share information—both true and false—on a massive scale.
3. Social media platforms allow millions and millions of people to publish their thoughts or share stories with the world. Unfortunately, though, most people don’t check the source of the material that they view online before they share it, which can lead to fake news going viral faster than covid-19.
4. Before helping to spread fake news, please check whether anyone else has picked up on the story and what other sources say about it.
5. Please bear in mind that a credible news story generally includes plenty of facts and/or detailed, consistent, and corroborated eye-witness accounts from people on the scene. If this is not the case, be suspicious.
6. The main reason why fake news is such a big issue is that, in addition to being almost always believable, it is written to create “shock value,” that is, a reaction of sharp disgust, shock, anger, fear, or similar negative emotions. Therefore, a dose of critical thinking will always be needed.
7. Always be suspicious of the news you want to hear, especially the most spectacular and sensational…
Last but not least, on behalf of fair play and to maintain a high standard of intellectual honesty, please note that:
8. Quoting someone’s words without giving credit, especially when done intentionally, is plagiarism and is generally considered unethical.
9. Attributing a quote to someone without previously checking whether or not he/she actually said what you say he/she did is unethical and unfair.
10. The same applies to those who report that someone did/said something without mentioning the source and, what is more, without checking the reliability of the source itself. In turn, to a journalist, attribution simply means telling your readers where the information in his/her story comes from…
