Learn How To Spot Fake Health News With These 5 Tips
Social media is considered as the best and most effective way of spreading news. If it is false, then it spreads like the fire in the forest. While using social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp, we came across many messages that seem very informative, but in actual, they are not. The words are connected with our emotions, and we think the news is right.
We are surrounded by fake news and information. The only aim of fake news is to make us fool. Such stories are only shared because the sender has hidden benefits in it; they use innocent people to get more likes and followers on their pages. Fake news is harmful to us, and it causes a lot of disturbance in society. We must resist the spread of false information, but how? In this post, we will tell you the five tips that will help you in combating the range of fake news.
1. Check The News Source
The first step to identify whether the news is legit or not is checking the source of news. The main sign of a fake story is their domains are unfamiliar. Domains like “.infonet, .offer” are some examples of odd domains.
Always check the web address, if you found a spelling error in the brand name or the web address, then it must be a fake webpage. Also, examine the “About Us” section of the website you visited. If no information is present there, then it will be better to close the site.
2. News Claiming Extra Benefits
It’s not a unique thing that someone of your friends sends you a message in which some unbelievable deals are mentioned. Like any particular mobile operator giving free recharge, Amazon offers free iPhone and much more. This kind of news is only designed to attract more traffic on a webpage.
In such situations, you have to recheck the information sent to you. Ask the sender whether he received the benefit or not. Also, we recommend not to enter your details on such websites because most of them are designed to steal your critical information.
3. Develop A Critical Mindset
Many news posts you see on social media are attached to your emotions. They consist of catchy headlines and make a feeling of fear and shock. Hence it is essential to keep yourself in control.
First, think about the news, and its purpose then responds only if you feel it will be helpful. Also, ask a few questions to yourself, are they trying to sell a product? What is the motive of this post? Are they trying to change my viewpoint? These questions will be useful in predicting whether the news is legal or not.
4. Look For Unnatural Pictures
Fake news consists of counterfeit images. The pictures are edited in a way that catches the attention of viewers. We all know that visuals are more attractive than texts. The fake photos are only shown to attract more customers. Data shows that most of the people are not able to tell whether an image is edited or not.
The editing may be 100% accurate, but still, you can distinguish them. Check for the irregular shadow and frayed edges. Also, you can find the real source of any image using Google Reverse Image Search feature.
5. Read The Comments
The last and fastest way of checking about the legacy of any news post is reading the comments. If you found an unknown or unusual news post on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, immediately check the comment section of the post. Check the views of other individuals about the news; it will save a lot of time for you.
Checking comments is very crucial, especially in this global pandemic of Covid-19. People are sending false information about the treatment and effects of this virus. Hence, it is necessary to cross-check all the information and follow only the guidelines given by the WHO.