How You Can Spot Fake News

By Teri Finneman When the New York Sun ran a story about bison and unicorns walking on the moon, you can imagine what happened.Much like social media sharing of misinformation today, this tall tale caused a sensation back in 1835. In the early 19th century, media hoaxes thrived with Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain and Richard Adams Locke among the writers creating fake news.Locke created the series known now as “The Great Moon Hoax.” While it may seem absurd now that anyone would believe a bizarre animal culture lives on the moon (although I’m sure you all know Facebook friends who would believe it), there were “facts” incorporated into the story to make it seem true. The moon story noted these discoveries were made by Sir John Herschel, a noted astronomer at the time. Who wouldn’t believe that Sir John made these discoveries in his real line of work as technology at the time was advancing?I’m telling you this story to illustrate that the concept of “fake news” has existed for centuries and isn’t, in fact, new. When journalism professionalized in the early 1900s, cracking down on writers who created misleading stories like this was a top priority. It remains so today. However, now anyone has access to be a mass communicator via the internet, creating even bigger problems.Today, the blasting fire hose of (often) misinformation through social media, the internet and cable news can be overwhelming. Too often, people believe immediately what they see or hear – our modern-day equivalent of moon bison – and like, comment and share before taking the time to think if what they’re looking at may actually be fake or wrong. I now return to the title of this column: How you can spot fake news. And the No. 1 factor to keep in mind if you don’t want to be duped: Slow. Down.S top with the trigger impulse to react and instead stop and think.I’ve taught an information credibility class at the University of Kansas the past few years that helps students look for clues to know whether what they’re looking at online is OK.I outline here the various steps to judge whether information is likely to be real. The No. 1 factor to observe when looking at a weblink is “Who is The Publisher?” Is the site a longtime media outlet or source that you recognize, such as NBC News, the Washington Post, the National Weather Service or your local paper? If you have never heard of the publisher/website name, immediately be skeptical.If the site is unfamiliar, look for an About Us section on their website. If they don’t have one or contact information, stop reading immediately. This step often tells you everything you need to know about whether a website is credible and whether to quit reading. Date of Publication. If you get past the publisher step, the next factor to consider is “What is the date when the information was published?” While some old information may still be accurate, you want to be extra alert to reading information not published recently. If there isn’t a date listed at all, be extra cautious. The Author. Is the name of the writer at the top or bottom of the content? Does the website include a way to contact the writer? If no one is taking responsibility for what was written, abandon this ship. If a name is listed, to really be observant, you can Google the author’s name to find out background information and their writing history. Sources. Does the content you’re reading include sources and attribution? In other words, where is this information coming from? An expert on the topic? Government documents? Are there words like “This Person said” or “according to” in what you are reading? Or is this just one writer’s personal opinion? Style. How many spelling and grammar errors are in the information? Is it hard to follow sentences? Is the information unorganized? These are clues this is not credible information. Images and ads. We’ve all seen the toe fungus ads. Are there constant pop-ups and ads for bizarre products all over? Did the publication take their own photos? Are the photos related to the information? Appearance. Does this website look like it was made in 1995? Be careful.Yes, being informed on your own can be a lot of work. That’s why supporting local news is important. It’s our job to vet information and do this work for you. Sharing credible information can be difficult and time consuming, hence why journalism is a paid profession.And this is why we need your support as subscribers more than ever so we can fight back against misinformation on your behalf.The moon hoax was fun and harmless at the time. Today, the consequences of actual fake news are more dire, contributing to divisiveness and an ill-informed society. We all need to do our part to stop its spread and to think twice before hitting the share button. Teri Finneman is a native of North Dakota and a journalism professor at the University of Kansas. She recently spoke at the Nebraska Press Association conference.

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