how to spot fake news: facebook sent me this information. it seems relevant to my exploratory work on real / romantic landscapes and how the landscape is presented, represented…. ‘how to spot fake landscapes’? how would the text look like with landscape imagery? could i apply the ways fake news is created to landscape imagery? anyway – here it is…
tips to spot fake news: we want to stop the spread of false news on facebook. as we work to limit the spread, here are some tips on what to look out for:
1: be skeptical of headlines: false news stories have catchy headlines in all caps with exclamation points, if shocking claims in the headline sound unbelievable, they probably are.
2: look closely at the URL: a bogus or look-alike IRL may be a warning sign of false news. many false news sites mimic authentic news sources by making small changes to the URL. you can go to the site to compare the URL to established sources.
3: investigate the source: ensure that the story is written by a source that you trust with a reputation for accuracy. if the story comes from an unfamiliar organisation, check their ‘about’ section to learn more.
4: watch out for unusual formatting. many false news sites have misspellings or awkward layouts. read carefully if you see these signs.
5: consider the photos: false news stories often contain manipulated images or videos. sometimes the photo may be authentic, but taken out of context. you can search for the photo or image to verify where it came from.
6: inspect the dates: false news stories may contain timelines that make no sense, or event dates that have been altered.
7: check the evidence: check the authors sources to confirm that they are accurate. lack of evidence or reliance on unnamed experts may indicate a false news story.
8: look at other reports: if no other news source is reporting the same story, it may indicate that the story is false. if the story is reported by multiple sources you trust, it’s more likely to be true.
9: is the story a joke/: sometimes false news stories can be hard to distinguish from humour or satire. check whether the source is known for parody, and whether the story’s details and tone suggest it may be just for fun.
10: sometimes stories are intentionally false. think critically about the stories you read, and only share news that you know to be credible.
elaine crowe 
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