I think the News as we
old fogies knew it is dying if not already dead.
Truth does survive in the smallest pockets. Hard to find though.
Social media, poorly produced so-called online "news", gossip, and a whole lot of rubbish as diminished the noble art of producing the sacred news, sacred in its integrity, sacred in its commitment to the reader, honest and reliable about the people and events mentioned ... so much so it could stand the scrutiny of the courts.
A bit tedious. here's something I found on mind tools ... but who has the time to check?
How
to Spot Real and Fake News
Critically Appraising Information
© GettyImages
clu
Developing a
critical mindset is the first step to spotting fake news.
When Alice scrolls through her social
media feed, she's stopped in her tracks by the news that her company is about
to be bought out by its biggest rival. She quickly posts a response, shares the
story with her contacts, and emails it to her team so that they can discuss it
later.
But then Alice has a troubling
thought. What if the story wasn't true? What if she just shared a "fake
news" story? After all, she didn't check the source.
If she has been a victim of fake
news, and then added to the rumor mill herself, how will people ever trust her
again?
Fortunately, there's lots you can do
to avoid making the same mistake as Alice. In this article, we explore how you
can separate fake news from the truth.
What Is Fake News?
There are two kinds of fake news:
1.
Stories that aren't true. These are entirely invented
stories designed to make people believe something false, to buy a certain
product, or to visit a certain website.
2.
Stories that have some truth, but aren't 100 percent accurate. For example,
a journalist quotes only part of what a politician says, giving a false
impression of their meaning. Again, this can be deliberate, to convince readers
of a certain viewpoint, or it can be the result of an innocent mistake. Either
way, it quickly attracts an audience and can become entrenched as an
"urban myth."
Note:
To confuse matters further, there are also people who claim that
factually accurate stories are fake news, just because they don't agree with
them or find them uncomfortable.
Where Does Fake News
Come From?
Fake news is nothing new. But, what
is new is how easy it's become to share information – both true and false – on
a massive scale.
Social media platforms allow almost
anyone to publish their thoughts or share stories to the world. The trouble is,
most people don't check the source of the material that they view online before
they share it, which can lead to fake news spreading quickly or even
"going viral."
At the same time, it's become harder
to identify the original source of news stories, which can make it difficult to
assess their accuracy.
This has led to a flood of fake news.
In fact, one study found that more than 25 percent of Americans
visited a fake news website in a six-week period during the 2016 U.S.
presidential election.
But, not all fake news stories are
found online. Co-workers who gossip by the water cooler or while browsing print
publications that fail to check their facts, for example, are also guilty of
spreading misinformation, even if inadvertently.
The Impact of Fake
News in the Workplace
Research shows that 59 percent of people are
concerned about the effect that fake news has in the workplace, and with good
reason!
For example, some people might start
to believe that they no longer need evidence to back up their arguments. Others
start to mistrust information all together. They stop listening to industry
reports, and disengage from official workplace communication, slowing their
professional growth and development. Ultimately, this can damage an
organization's learning culture.
Fake news can affect behavior, too.
It encourages people to invent excuses, to dismiss others' ideas, to exaggerate
the truth, and to spread rumors. This can create divided, anxious workplaces
where people are cynical and unsure of who to trust.
They might even begin to
mistrust you if they believe that authority figures have
lied to them, or that the information that they are working with is suspect.
This can sap people of the curiosity, enthusiasm and ambition that they need to
collaborate and to be successful.
Misinformation and fake news can also
harm your business. Invented reviews of your products or inaccurate financial
updates, for example, can do serious reputational damage .
Six Ways to Spot Fake
News
Separating fact from fiction
accurately can seem daunting. But getting to the truth is always worth the
effort – even if it's not what you want to hear! Use these six steps to weed
out the truth from the lies:
1. Develop a Critical
Mindset
One of the main reasons fake news is
such a big issue is that it is often believable, so it's easy to get caught
out. Much fake news is also written to create "shock value," that is,
a strong instinctive reaction such as fear or anger.
This means it's essential that you
keep your emotional response to such stories in check. Instead, approach what
you see and hear rationally and critically .
Ask yourself, "Why has this story
been written? Is it to persuade me of a certain viewpoint? Is it selling me a
particular product? Or is it trying to get me to click through to another
website? Am I being triggered?"
2. Check the Source
If you come across a story from a
source that you've never heard of before, do some digging!
Check the web address for the page
you're reading. Spelling errors in company names, or strange-sounding
extensions like ".infonet" and ".offer," rather than
".com" or ".co.uk," may mean that the source is suspect.
Whether or not the author or
publisher is familiar, stop to consider their reputation and professional
experience. Are they known for their expertise on
the matter? Or do they tend to exaggerate?
Be aware that people who spread fake
news and "alternative facts" sometimes create web pages, newspaper
mockups, or "doctored" images that look official, but aren't. So, if
you see a suspicious post that looks like it's from the World Health Organization
(WHO), for example, check the WHO's own site to verify that it's really there.
Remember, even if you got the story
from your best friend, this gives it no extra authority – they likely didn't
follow these steps themselves before forwarding!
Tip:
Trusted online fact-checking sites like Snopes can help
you to verify stories that sound too good to be true.
3. See Who Else Is
Reporting the Story
Has anyone else picked up on the
story? What do other sources say about it?
Avoid leaping to the conclusion that
all main stream media (MSM) output is fake. This can be as unwise as following
every rumor or conspiracy theory.
Professional global news agencies
such as Reuters, CNN and the BBC have rigorous editorial guidelines and
extensive networks of highly trained reporters, so are a good place to start.
But no one is unbiased, and anyone can make a mistake, so keep looking.
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4. Examine the
Evidence
A credible news story will include
plenty of facts – quotes from experts, survey data and official statistics, for
example. Or detailed, consistent and corroborated eye-witness accounts from
people on the scene. If these are missing, question it!
Does the evidence prove that
something definitely happened? Or, have the facts been selected or
"twisted" to back up a particular viewpoint?
5. Don't Take Images
at Face Value
Modern editing software has made it
easy for people to create fake images that look real. In fact, research shows
that only half of us can tell when images are fake. However, there are some
warning signs you can look out for. Strange shadows on the image, for example,
or jagged edges around a figure.
Images can also be 100 percent
accurate but used in the wrong context. For example, photos of litter covering
a beach could be from a different beach or from 10 years ago, not the recent
alleged event.
You can use tools such as Google Reverse Image
Search to check where an image originated and whether it
has been altered.
6. Check That it
"Sounds Right"
Finally, use your common sense! Bear
in mind that fake news is designed to "feed" your biases, hopes or
fears.
For example, it's unlikely that your
favorite designer brand is giving away a million free dresses to people who
turn up to its stores. Equally, just because your colleague believes that two
married co-workers are having an affair, doesn't mean it's true.
Tip:
Some stories that you'll encounter will sound "wrong,"
but won't necessarily be fake news. They could be intentional satire or
something that comes from a humorous website, like The Onion or The Daily Mash,
for example.
Warning:
If these tips suggest that the information that you are about to
pass on is fake, partial or malicious, avoid sharing it with others – even if
you're inviting them to check it. Doing so could lead to rumors spreading and
may harm your professional credibility.
Test Your Knowledge
Now it's time to put what you've
learned into practice! Below are five recent news stories. But, can you tell
which ones are true and which are false? Click on the links next to each to
find out.
1.
"John McCain Photographed Alongside Osama Bin
Laden." Real or Fake?
2.
"California Governor to Relocate Veterans Cemetery to Make
Way for Affordable Housing." Real or Fake?
3.
"New Species of Deadly Spider Kills Five in
U.S." Real or Fake?
4.
"Firefighters Forced to Buy More Expensive Data Package
During Wildfire." Real or Fake?
5.
"President Trump's Personal Lawyer Tweets that Hillary
Clinton Will Get 'Free Room and Board' in Prison." Real or Fake?
Key Points
Fake news refers to deliberate
untruths, or stories that contain some truth but which aren't completely
accurate, by accident or design.
Some people also claim that truthful
stories are "fake news," just because they don't agree with them.
This can lead to the dangerous ignoring of vital advice.
Fake news can have a negative impact
on workplace behavior. For example, by damaging learning culture, and causing
rumor and mistrust to spread. So, it's vital to know how to separate the real
from the fake. You can do this by following these six steps:
1. Develop a critical
mindset.
2. Check the source.
3. See who else is
reporting the story.
4. Examine the
evidence.
5. Don't take images
at face value.
6.
Check that it "sounds right."
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