What Is Fake News and How Can I Spot It?
You've definitely heard about fake news by now. There's a chance it's come up in class, around the dinner table with your family, or on Twitter.
But the term may have left you wondering: WTF is fake news anyway? Is it something you yell out when you want to dismiss a source that you disagree with? When people say "fake news" are they just talking about satire sites like The Onion? Or does it mean some websites and news outlets are actually making up facts that are seriously influencing people's ideas and, in the meantime, shaping our culture and even affecting our elections?
To get to the bottom of the "fake news" phenomenon, we spoke with Katy Byron, manager of Poynter's MediaWise, a non-profit project funded by Google.org and part of the Google News Initiative that teaches teens how to sort fact from fiction online. MediaWise's goal is to train the next generation of fact-checkers so that we can all tell good journalism from garbage lies. And it's super important as not all news is created equal.
So if you've wanted to learn more about the facts of fake news, how to tell real news from fabricated stuff, and ways that you can make the internet a more truthful place, be sure to read on.
Here's everything you need to know about fake news...
What is fake news?
You might be a little confused about the true definition of fake news, and that's completely understandable. "This term has become very muddied and unclear over time," says Byron, who defines fake news as a combination of misinformation and disinformation that appears online and in your social media feeds. "Misinformation is more common and it basically means anything you see online that is misleading, inaccurate or flat-out false. Disinformation is more sinister. It’s intentionally misleading and full of straight-up lies - think propaganda, the really ugly side of bad info online."
Why does fake news exist?
Like anything, there are shades of grey when it comes to the seriousness of fake news. "Sometimes you may share something online that you thought was real, but it was actually wrong or inaccurate, and that counts [as fake news]," says Byron. But there's a more dangerous aspect of fake news out there: "It's a strategy that bad actors around the world are using to influence large numbers of people to do bad things - like sway a political election."
So, why is this happening now? Is fake news totally brand new? If you've heard about propaganda is history class, then you know that there have always been issues with people spreading misinformation. But the reason why this strain of fake news is so rampant is because of the internet. "Part of the reason fake news exists is because a lot of people get their news and information on social media and there are no editors or gatekeepers on those platforms (in the general sense)," says Byron. "Back in the day, people got their news from the newspaper, which was edited by professional editors and reported and written by professional reporters. There are rules regulating these social, online communities and platforms, but they are much more lax than the standards set for the front page of a newspaper, for example."
Basically, it used to be someone's job to vet all of the information that got into your hands (and there still are journalists hard at work - like us here at Seventeen - to give you the facts and just the facts), but that doesn't mean there's not a lot of totally biased, unreliable content making its way into your feed. There are just so many news outlets to choose from these days that it can be hard to discern which ones are legit or not.
There's also the fact that social media (as a news delivery source) can feel so intimate. You look at your phone all the time, it lives in your back pocket, it's where you keep up with your friends and share things with your squad. You can be really vulnerable when you're online, which is why you can be super susceptible to internalizing the things you see on there without even realizing it.
Since social media is so intimate, Byron urges young people to learn how to take control of their feeds. "Now, everyone needs to learn how to edit their own online news consumption, how to sift through and edit their social media feeds themselves. That’s what MediaWise is all about - we’re teaching teens the skills to do this themselves," she says.
Is fake news dangerous?
It sure is! The bottom-line is that this is a rampant problem and it’s growing fast, says Byron. "If you read something inaccurate or misleading online, it could impact decisions you make IRL. It could be something everyday like reading a Yelp review to help you decide which coffee shop to hit up. But it also could be something super important like where to go to college, get your first job, or how you cast your first vote," she says.
It's a natural thing to look to news to make informed decisions throughout your day and your life. And what if the news you're basing your decisions on is nothing more than some made-up trash? That would not bode well for your future.
How can you tell the difference between real and fake news?
OK, if fake news is so damn dangerous, then how do you know if you're reading something fake or not? "There are a number of skills we teach through MediaWise that are helpful, but they take practice," Byron says. She recommends starting with John Green’s fake news CrashCourse series called Navigating Digital Information. "One of the MediaWise partners is Stanford History Education Group, which is developing a curriculum called Civic Online Reasoning that will be taught in middle schools and high schools starting this fall. The CrashCourse series gives a preview of that," says Byron.
But what if you don't have time for crash courses and classes? Then, there are certain things you should always keep in mind when reading something online. According to Byron, you want to ask yourself these three key questions when you’re trying to figure out if something is real or not:
Who is behind the info?
What’s the evidence?
What do other sources say?
These questions sound simple enough, but they can really help you easily knock out fake news contenders. If you see a story from a news organization you don't know much about, saying something that doesn't have any evidence to back it up, and then find that this take is very different than other things being sent around the internet, then a fake news alarm should be going off.
Any other helpful tips for spotting fake news in the wild?
YES. According to Byron, these are her top 3 favorite quick tips for fake news:
Tip 1: Reverse Google Image Search
If you see a social post with a photo that looks a little off, you can use a reverse Google image search to find out where else it’s been posted online. On mobile, you need to use the Google Chrome app, tap and hold down on the image you want to search, then select “Open in Chrome.” Once that opens up, tap and hold the image again and select “search google for this image.” A lot of times this will bring up articles or fact-checks related to the image.
Tip 2: Lateral Reading
When you’re looking at content online, you should ask yourself ‘who is behind this information?’ to help you figure out if it’s legit. You can figure that out by opening up tabs and reading other related stories from sources you've heard of and trust. It’s important to get off the page you’re on, and see what other info is out there. It can be as simple as Googling the name of the source or keywords from the post itself.
Tip 3: Native Ads
According to research from Stanford History Education Group, 80% of teens don’t know the difference between a native ad and a news story online. Look for keywords like "sponsored," "paid content" and "promoted"… those indicate the content was paid for by an advertiser. Native ads aren’t bad, but they are usually trying to sell you something or influence you in some way while straight news content is just trying to inform you.
What are some sites that are notorious for fake news?
According to Byron, a lot of people confuse satire websites for real news websites. "World News Daily Report and 8Satire are satire sites that confuse people a lot," she says.
Unfortunately, there's no concrete list of fake news sites out there. Why? Because new ones pop up all time. "For example, during the midterm elections, campaigns and political action committees (PACs) for candidates were creating 'news' websites about their opponents, which were full of misleading headlines and info, and meant to look like real news websites," she says.
How can you make a difference when it comes to stopping fake news?
According to Byron, if you want to help make the internet a better place - try this out: think before you share. Ask yourself: Is this real? Does anything look off with this post? Can I answer the 3 key questions: Who is behind the info? What’s the evidence? What do other sources say? If you take a minute to do a tiny bit of digging before sharing something that looks a little sus, it can go a long way.
Also, if you do see something that you’re just not sure about, you can share the link and tag it with #IsThisLegit and @MediaWise, and Byron's team will help you figure it out! "Definitely check out our accounts on social @MediaWise for videos with our tips including some awesome fact-checking videos on IG from the MediaWise Teen Fact-Checking Network," she says. "We will be accepting applications in the next few months for our next batch of teen fact-checkers so follow us on IG and we’ll post the application form once it’s up!"
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