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How to Spot False News

Fortunately, there are ways to determine whether a story is trustworthy.

Before liking, commenting, or sharing content online, pause and ask yourself: Does it seem accurate? Does it sound credible?

Use the FACTS checklist below to identify false news.

F

Fact-check sources

Make sure information comes from a trusted source. Even if you trust the source, you should fact-check every piece of news before accepting it as truth. Fact-checking involves seeking information from multiple trusted sources.A fast way to check is with an official source like the Official Government Website.

A

Assess credibility

Ask yourself who is behind the story.Do you know the website? Do you recognise the URL or website name? Ask: who benefits from this news?

Try to prioritise data over stories. Facts,statistics,and peer-reviewed research tend to be more reliable than anecdotes or emotionally charged narratives.

News should be objective. Opinion pieces (op-eds) are subjective and emotional. A credible news source will differentiate between the two, making it clear when a piece is opinionated. If a news article makes you feel extreme anger or fear, it may lack objectivity

C

Cross-check claims

Fake news is rampant, and not everyone will adhere to professional ethics. Articles heavily reliant on anonymous sources without named experts or corroborating evidence are often not to be trusted.

T

Think beyond headlines

Headlines can often be misleading or exaggerated. Read the full article or press release before sharing with friends or family.

S

Spot bias & deepfakes

We have built-in weaknesses in our ways of thinking that can cause us to not notice false news. Be aware that as humans, we often seek information that aligns with our existing beliefs, prefer stories over data, even when the facts don’t align and tend to trust people based on their appearance, charisma, or confidence rather than their credibility.

Increasingly online watch out for images, video or content that appears to have been edited to show unrelated events or information.

AI-generated images, videos, and audio can also spread false narratives. Look out for unnatural lighting or blurry facial features. Also, look for strange blinking patterns or lip-syncing issues in videos. In today’s media, seeing is no longer believing.