The powerful citizens, like the Politicians, have a new policy of calling all news fake if it does not suit their agenda.
This short-sighted approach can attract political gains, but, fake news can also leave a lasting stain on its original spreader. And this is where the problem is, there are lots of people that do not know how to detect fake news since it started evolving into different forms. As soon as we hear “Fake News.” we only hear “factually wrong information.” But there are various kinds of fake news presently growing in the world.
How Can You Spot Fake News In 2019?
Before we go into how you can detect fake news, we must have the proper knowledge of its purpose. The purpose of fake news is actually to spread misinformation, for malicious reasons, and not get caught. This year, fake news comes in 4 different types, and they are listed below. Lets highlight each one of them and give instances, then give you the vital steps to note if you intend to discover fake news.
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Various Types Of Fake News?
1. Factually Incorrect News
This is the most rampant type of news, and it is the simplest to detect. Fake facts that have to do with dates, people, places and historic events can be smoothly detected via Google Search. In this scenario, Wikipedia is very much vital but it can edited, so it is best to compare it with an official source. The methods below of manually searching are recommended.
To confirm rumors about the newest advancements from the government, you can head to the home page of the Press Information Bureau. All announcements are updated as at when due on the website, this is for Indians.
So when next you see news about the government working on a specific scheme, have its authenticity cross-checked on this website.
If the news is about an incident that relates to social issues then independent news sources like IANS, ANI and PTI can give you the truth you seek. If you stay in another country and not India, then independent news agencies, specifically above fifty years old, are a decent source of impartial information.
To confirm a fact about a nation other than Bollywood, a proper tool is the World Fact Book that can be seen on the site of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Although, if you still do not get what you are looking for, check out websites like Snopes, Politifact, and Factcheck.org and they will definitely be of help.
2. Biased News
This is very hard to spot since it is not a hard-written fact. You might even get blasted if you call it out wrongly.
Biased news spread in patterns and the spreaders makes use of what is known as “dog-whistle” to hint the audience that they are speaking in their favor. Before we go into instances of Biased news, let us go deeper into its purpose.
Wikipedia says, “Dog-whistle politics is political messaging employing coded language that appears to mean one thing to the general population but has an additional, different, or more specific resonance for a targeted subgroup. The analogy is to a dog whistle, whose ultrasonic whistling sound is heard by dogs but inaudible to humans.”
Biased news is meant to escalate a specific message, mostly divisive, to ensure the perspective of unbiased persons and fringe groups are on the same page.
For instance, the reason for building a wall on the US-Mexico border, given by US President Donald Trump, is actually not factual. According to the controversial man, the threat of illegal outsiders committing terrible crimes like murder, rape and drugs misuse is increasing.
What this is doing is painting all Mexicans, staying in the America and Mexico, in terrible light. Therefore granting people who already hate foreigners and White Supremacist groups an opportunity to cement their plans by getting more unbiased persons on their side and ensuring their bad plans appear more legit.
“If Trump said it, it should be true.” is a rampant conclusion for lots of persons, and that gets exploited.
Politico, a news website, said if we consider the number of people crossing the US-Mexico border in an illegal manner, we will notice a massive decline since the 1990s. But, the number of persons crossing the border has risen since 5 years ago.
Labeling news are nothing short of biased, if you do not provide proper evidence. But if you intend to detect fake, biased news, there are ways to achieve that.
- If anyone assumes about the future, always consider past trends to verify its validity, most especially, the numbers.
- Do not believe random sources till over 3 news websites report the exact thing.
- Go for court orders and investigation reports for neutral outcomes.
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3. Incomplete News
News that are taken out of context are nothing but incomplete news. It is also a massive source of misconception amongst members of the public all over the globe. This type of news can be easily detected by just seeking the complete source information.
You can also head to the websites discussed earlier to spot what is fake.
4. Doctored News
On how to spot fake news, realizing that a picture/clip is edited requires massive technical skills. For beginners, make use of Google Reverse Image search to get pictures to the ones related to yours.
On how you can perform a reverse image search, adhere to the steps below:
- Enter Chrome an type images.google.com in the address bar.
- Drag and drop the picture into the search bar.
- Search by tapping on the camera icon and either paste the picture URL or upload the picture directly.
- Tap Enter.
After tapping search, you will be shown related pictures to the ones you uploaded. This can aid any comparison you wish to make to discover the truth. If you cannot spot any difference between both, then check out the version of the picture reputed publishers have made use of.
Sadly, when it comes to investigating edited audio or clips, you will require professional assistance.
In most cases, investigating agencies take care of this sort of work, but, there are also some startup companies that can detect fake news on your behalf.
