We live in a digital era, where people see the internet as their primary source of information. They consume information through it for various purposes. You will see people accessing the internet to entertain themselves through online content. They may also try to find solutions to the problems they face in their everyday lives by consuming the information available online. The online information and content also help them stay aware of current affairs.

Journalists and news agencies use the internet as an effective channel to share valuable news with their audience. However, it has been observed that some villainous entities have started online news as an effective tool to create anger and unrest amongst the masses. The spread of misinformation using fake news, resulting in anger and unrest amongst the masses, can lead to serious havoc. Hence, it is essential to spot fake news online and inform others about such content to stop the spread of misinformation.

However, many people ask how they can spot fake news online. There are multiple effective methods. This article discusses a few standout ones to help you easily recognize fake news and avoid sharing it further to prevent the spread of misinformation and the resultant anger and unrest. Further details are given below.

Check the Source

When you see a suspicious news article featuring negativity, check the media outlet that published it. Sometimes, analyzing the origin of a particular news article can help you differentiate between original and fake information. Once you know the name of the origin that published the news, ask yourself a few questions.

Have you ever heard the name of that particular website before? Does it appear real? Are there any other stories, or is just a single story coming out of the blue? Is the content written well? Are you seeing too many ads after clicking on the link? Does the About section of the source look distrustful? If the answer to the questions above is yes, you probably see fake news.

Verify the Credibility of the Author

Sometimes, you may see the news coming from a legitimate outlet. However, if it sounds doubtful, don’t simply believe the information because a renowned media outlet has published it. Assess the credibility of the author before sharing the news with anyone. Many ask how they can verify the credibility of the news article's author. The process doesn’t involve too many intricacies.

First, verify that an individual with the same name and face exists. Once you are sure about their existence, try to do some research about their reputation. This research would help you determine whether the author is seen respectfully or has too many critics. If the second statement is true, the author could be biased, and it is better to distrust them to avoid becoming a part of their agenda.

Check the Authenticity of Images

The content available online could be categorized into two types: text and visuals. Content in the form of visuals, especially images, plays a key role in making news engaging and understandable for the targeted audience. Many people may trust any piece of news just because the imagery is relatable to the published text. However, trusting news just because the published images appear relevant is nothing but living in a fool’s paradise. Websites publishing fake news find relatable images from other places, even though the published photos have nothing to do with the published information.

Checking the authenticity of images could be one of the most effective ways to spot fake news online. Those who think it could be a time-consuming and laborious task should know that doing so is not difficult anymore. The reverse image search technique will help you discover all the sources where the same images were published before, and by analyzing those sources, you can easily identify the validity of a suspicious piece of news. An advanced reverse image search tool capable of bringing visually similar results from various databases will easily help you examine the validity of any news article.

Look for Facts

Most news agencies and journalists follow a predefined protocol while presenting or publishing news. This protocol also includes sharing relevant facts and figures to help the targeted audience understand the context and why a particular piece of news matters. Thus, the news article that appears suspicious to you must feature a few facts and figures.

You are responsible for looking for relevant facts, figures, and quotes by experts while reading a news article. If such information is missing, then it could be a misleading piece of content. Upon further examination, you may find incorrect dates because fake or misleading news is often published with altered timelines.

Visit a Fact-Checking Site

As mentioned earlier, a legitimate piece of news must include relevant facts, figures, and quotes from experts in the field. The absence of such elements makes any news article suspicious. However, even if you find such elements in the underlying news article, don’t start believing in it quickly. It is better to verify the accuracy of the news article's facts, figures, and quotes.

A renowned and credible fact-checking site could be helpful in such a situation. All you need to do is visit such a website and compare the facts and figures in the news article with those published on the fact-checking site. Minor differences are acceptable. However, if you observe a significant difference or opposite situation, you probably see fake news.

To Conclude

Individuals have a few responsibilities to ensure a secure society for everyone. However, believing in misleading information and sharing it further could seriously create problems for a specific community and society. Hence, verifying the truth before sharing any news that appears suspicious to you is essential. We have discussed a few highly effective ways to help you do so. Hopefully, you will keep them in mind and use them when necessary to avoid the spread of misinformation and resultant anger and unrest amongst the masses. Live and let others live peacefully!