Fake news is a big issue currently, and believe it or not, it’s been around since people existed. Specifically it’s a big issue right now because of the election and the pandemic. For this reason, you may never know what to believe, so one needs to understand that everything you read on the internet isn’t true.

What is fake news?

According to 30seconds.org, fake news is specifically fabricated information. This information is something you cannot rely on; it’s just like rumors where people make up something out of nothing. There are many types of fake news.

What are the different types of fake news?

There are various types of fake news. One type is to use an alarmist title to get your attention. Other types are labeled as sloppy journalism written with unprofessional wording. The most prominent is the use of misleading facts. This is when the statements are not necessary false, just falsely worded, creating misleading news based on true facts. When there are true facts worded in a way that is misleading, it could change the whole understanding of the information and make it fake. Then there is parody. Parody is when they take the news and make into something funny by twisting the ideas and words. Although intended as humor and entertainment, some take the parody as actual fact.

Why should you care?

It can benefit you by knowing what’s real versus what is fake. You should expect the news you read and watch to be factual because. If you are voting, for example, you need to understand the candidate and their issues as they are to make sure you are voting for who you want. Another reason you should be able to spot fake news is because fake news can harm you or other people. Fake news can hurt people by putting false information about medical issues, for example, like the belief that vaccines cause autism.

How can you spot fake news?

Here are some way you can spot fake news quickly. Check the date of the story. Is the news an outdated issue that has updated information? Check out the author by looking at the author’s webpage. Look at the sources the author used. Check out the sources that support their claim? Look at the writing, is it sloppy? Have you seen this claim before on other news sites or is this the only time you’ve seen it. If you’ve never seen it before  there’s a high chance that it is fake. If the news has any of these qualities it could be fake.

In the end, you need to keep in mind that since you read it on the internet it may not always be true. You need to fact check it before you believe it. Look at other articles that are about the same topic. There are all different types of fake news and some parts of the story can be true but other parts can be misleading, hidden behind what is true to make the article false information.