It is important to identify fake news and other types of disinformation, but it is also necessary that we know how to fight the spread of false or misleading information.
But let’s first distinguish the difference between misinformation and disinformation?
Misinformation refers to false information being shared unintentionally. Some examples of these are satires, parodies, and memes.
Disinformation, on the other hand, refers to publishing false information with the intent to deceive. This information is usually malicious and misleading.
So how do you spot fake news? Here are some tips from #PanataKontraFake.
Always check the source – Ask yourself “Who posted it?’ “Was it posted by a verified account?”, “Does the account name or username look suspicious?”, and “Does the profile picture look legitimate?”
Accountability – The article should have a byline of the writer.
When in doubt, verify! – Check the information with other sources or websites.
Date – Please take note that not everything you see on your social media feed is up to date. Always check the date of the post or story.
Check the quality – If there are odd lines, colors, and letters in photos or videos, these are suspicious. You can check the veracity of the photo through reverse image search to lead you to the original source, or through geolocation to trace the whereabouts of the image.
For videos, they are suspicious if there are lots of cropped clips because they could have been made to create a fake story. To verify, check the keywords in the caption or look at the details in the video.
An expert warns that the more you share fake news, the more you engage with it. So, always verify and stick with your trusted news organization. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
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