How to spot fake news. (Photo credit: UTSA)
I did a Q&A recently on the topic of fake news with the staff at UTSA’s ‘Sombrilla’ magazine. That Q&A is now published and you can read it online here. In the Q&A I discuss the definition of fake news, why it’s so dangerous, and why it’s important to learn how to spot fake news and how to protect ourselves from it. Here’s an excerpt:
Is there any advice or tips you can give us to help us easily spot fake news?
Now more than ever, it’s vital to rely on trusted news organizations. Even ones that are biased, at least won’t make up facts out of thin air. But also if, from your point of view, news is too good (or bad) to be true, it’s probably not true. If a site’s logo looks not-quite-right or the page’s design is pretty bad, you’re probably dealing with a fake news site. And if a story only on a site you’ve just discovered and no other mainstream news source is covering it, that’s a sign the news is fake.