{"id":37852,"date":"2023-07-17T21:32:58","date_gmt":"2023-07-17T21:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.estaql.com\/how-to-outsmart-fake-news-in-your-facebook-feed\/"},"modified":"2023-07-17T21:32:58","modified_gmt":"2023-07-17T21:32:58","slug":"how-to-outsmart-fake-news-in-your-facebook-feed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/estaql.com\/seo\/how-to-outsmart-fake-news-in-your-facebook-feed\/","title":{"rendered":"How to outsmart fake news in your Facebook feed"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n
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\n CNN<\/span>
\n \u00a0\u2014\u00a0
\n <\/cite>\n<\/p>\n

\n Just because it\u2019s on the internet doesn\u2019t make it true<\/strong>. It seems so simple, but if everyone knew that, Facebook and Google wouldn\u2019t have to pull bogus news sites from their advertising algorithms and people wouldn\u2019t breathlessly share stories that claim Donald Trump is a secret lizard person or Hillary Clinton is an android in a pantsuit.\n <\/p>\n

\n It doesn\u2019t have to be this way. Fake news is actually really easy to spot<\/strong> \u2013 if you know how. Consider this your New Media Literacy Guide.\n <\/p>\n

\n NOTE: As we put this together, we sought the input of two communications experts: <\/em>Dr. Melissa Zimdars<\/em>, an associate professor at Merrimack College in Massachusetts<\/em> whose dynamic <\/em>list of unreliable news sites<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>has gone viral, and <\/em>Alexios Mantzarlis<\/em>, the head of the <\/em>International Fact-Checking Network<\/em><\/strong> at the Poynter Institute. <\/em>\n <\/p>\n

\n

\n First, know the different types of misleading and false news
\n <\/h3>\n

\n 1. Fake news<\/strong><\/p>\n

  • These are the easiest to debunk and often come from known sham sites that are designed to look like real news outlets. They may include misleading photographs and headlines that, at first read, sound like they could be real. <\/li>\n

    2. Misleading news <\/strong><\/p>\n

  • These are the hardest to debunk, because they often contain a kernel of truth: A fact, event or quote that has been taken out of context. Look for sensational headlines that aren\u2019t supported by the information in the article. <\/li>\n

    3. Highly partisan news <\/strong><\/p>\n

  • A type of misleading news, this may be an interpretation of a real news event where the facts are manipulated to fit an agenda. <\/li>\n

    4. Clickbait <\/strong><\/p>\n

  • The shocking or teasing headlines of these stories trick you into clicking for more information \u2013 which may or may not live up to what was promised. <\/li>\n

    5. Satire <\/strong><\/p>\n

  • This one is tough, because satire doesn\u2019t pretend to be real and serves a purpose as commentary or entertainment. But if people are not familiar with a satire site, they can share the news as if it is legitimate. <\/li>\n<\/div>\n
    \n

    \n Second, hone your fact-checking skills
    \n <\/h3>\n
  • Alexios Mantzarlis trains fact-checkers for a living. He says it\u2019s important to have a \u201chealthy amount of skepticism\u201d and to think, really think, before sharing a piece of news. <\/li>\n
  • \u201cIf we were a little slower to share and re-tweet content purely based on the headline, we\u2019d go a good way towards combating flasehoods,\u201d he told CNN. <\/li>\n
  • Melissa Zimdars points out that even those who spend a lot of time online aren\u2019t immune to fake content. <\/li>\n
  • \u201cPeople think this [thinking] applies only for older people,\u201d she told CNN. \u201cI think even early education should be teaching about communication, media and the internet. Growing up with the internet doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you\u2019re internet savvy.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/div>\n
    \n

    \n For starters, here are 10 questions you should ask if something looks fake:
    \n <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n

    \n Zimdars says sites with strange suffixes<\/strong> like \u201c.co\u201d or \u201c.su,\u201d or that are hosted by third party platforms like WordPress should raise a red flag. Some fake sites, like National Report, have legitimate-sounding, if not overly general names that can easily trick people on social sites. For instance, several fake reports from abcnews.com.co have gone viral before being debunked, including a June article that claimed President Obama signed an order banning assault weapon sales.\n <\/p>\n

    \n Mantzarlis says one of the biggest reasons bogus news spreads on Facebook is because people get sucked in by a headline and don\u2019t bother to click through<\/strong>.\n <\/p>\n

    \n Just this week, several dubious organizations circulated a story about Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi. \u201cPepsi STOCK Plummets After CEO Tells Trump Supporters to \u2018Take Their Business Elsewhere\u2019,\u201d trumpeted one such headline.\n <\/p>\n

    \n However, the articles themselves didn\u2019t contain that quote nor evidence that Pepsi\u2019s stock saw a significant drop (it didn\u2019t). Nooyi did make recorded comments about Trump\u2019s election, but was never quoted telling his supporters to \u201ctake their business elsewhere.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

    \n Sometimes legitimate news stories can be twisted and resurrected<\/strong> years after the fact to create a false conflation of events. Mantzarlis recalls an erroneous story that actually cited a legitimate piece of news from CNNMoney.\n <\/p>\n

    \n A blog called Viral Liberty recently reported that Ford had moved production of some of their trucks from Mexico to Ohio because of Donald Trump\u2019s election win. The story quickly caught fire online \u2013 after all, it seemed like a great win for the domestic auto industry.\n <\/p>\n

    \n It turns out, Ford did move some manufacturing from Mexico to Ohio \u2013 in 2015. It had nothing to do with the election results at all.\n <\/p>\n

    \n Photos and videos can also be taken out of context<\/strong> to support a false claim. In April, the liberal site Occupy Democrats posted a video that purportedly showed a young woman getting removed from a bathroom by police for not looking feminine enough. This was during the height of the HB2 \u201cbathroom bill\u201d controversy, and the article clearly linked the two. \u201cIT BEGINS,\u201d read the headline.\n <\/p>\n

    \n However, there was no date on the video or evidence that it was shot in North Carolina, where the \u201cbathroom bill\u201d was to be passed.\n <\/p>\n

    \n In fact, according to Snopes, the same video was published to a Facebook page in 2015, meaning it predated the HB2 controversy.\n <\/p>\n

    \n It\u2019s not just political news that can be bogus. Now8News is one of the most infamous fake-but-looks-real site, specializing in the kind of weird news stories that often go viral.\n <\/p>\n

    \n One such article claims Coca-Cola recalled Dasani water bottles after a \u201cclear parasite\u201d was found in the water. There was even an accompanying gross-out picture that allegedly showed the parasite, though some basic Googling reveals it is most likely a photo of a young eel.\n <\/p>\n

    \n Regardless, the article had no statement or claim from any company<\/strong>. Clearly this would be a big story. Dasani or any number of consumer advocacy groups would publish statements or news releases about it, right? There are none to be found \u2013 because the story is 100% fake.\n <\/p>\n

    \n
    \n \"trump<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n A favorite meme of Liberal Facebook groups features a fake quote from Donald Trump that is allegedly from a People Magazine interview in 1998:\n <\/p>\n

    \n \u201cIf I were to run, I\u2019d run as a Republican. They\u2019re the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and they\u2019d still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific.<\/em>\u201d\n <\/p>\n

    \n This one is easily debunked if you take even a moment to think about it: People.com has extensive archives, and this quote is nowhere to be found<\/strong> in them.\n <\/p>\n

    \n During this election season, Pope Francis was roped into three super viral, and completely false, stories. According to various (fake) websites, the Pope endorsed three US Presidential candidates: First, Bernie Sanders, as \u201creported\u201d by National Report and USAToday.com.co. Then, Donald Trump, as \u201creported\u201d by fake news site WTOE 5 News. Finally, another fake news site KYPO6.com reported he had endorsed Hillary Clinton!\n <\/p>\n

    \n In all of these instances, subsequent reports all circled back to the fake ones. It\u2019s always good to trace a story back to the original source<\/strong>, and if you find yourself in a loop \u2013 or if they all lead back to the same dubious site \u2013 you have reason to doubt.\n <\/p>\n

    \n
    \n \"01<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n Both Zimdars and Mantzarlis say confirmation bias is a big reason<\/strong> fake news speads like it does. Some of that is built into Facebook\u2019s algorithm \u2013 the more you like or interact with a certain interest, the more Facebook will show you related to that interest.\n <\/p>\n

    \n Similarly, if you hate Donald Trump, you are more likely to think negative stories about Donald Trump are true, even if there is no evidence.\n <\/p>\n

    \n \u201cWe seek out information that already fits with our established beliefs,\u201d says Zimdars. \u201cIf we come into contact with information we don\u2019t agree with, it still may reaffirm us because we will attempt to find faults.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

    \n So if you find an outrageous article that feels \u201ctoo good to be true,\u201d use caution: It just might be.\n <\/p>\n

    \n Did you know there is actually an International Fact-Checking Network (which Mantzarlis leads)? And that it has a code of principles? The code includes the ideals of nonpartisanship and transparency, among others. Sites like FactCheck.org, Snopes and Politifact abide by this code, so if you see a debunking there, you know you\u2019re getting the real deal<\/strong>. View the whole list here.\n <\/p>\n

    \n This is where things can get tricky<\/strong>. There\u2019s obviously a big difference between \u201cmisleading\u201d news, which is usually based in fact, and \u201cfake\u201d news, which is just fiction disguised as fact. Zimdars\u2019 now-famous list covers both kinds, as well as satire and sites that capitalize on clickbait-type headlines. Snopes also maintains a list.\n <\/p>\n

    \n While Zimdars is glad her list has gotten so much attention, she also cautions that completely writng off some of the sites as \u201cfake\u201d is not accurate. \u201cI want to make sure this list doesn\u2019t do a great disservice to the ultimate goal,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s interesting that some of the headlines [about my list] are just as hyperbolic as the ones I am analyzing.\u201d\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0635\u062f\u0631<\/a>
    \n
    \n    \u0623\u062e\u0628\u0627\u0631<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    CNN \u00a0\u2014\u00a0 Just because it\u2019s on the internet doesn\u2019t make it true. It seems so simple, but if everyone knew that, Facebook and Google wouldn\u2019t have to pull bogus news sites from their advertising algorithms and people wouldn\u2019t breathlessly share stories that claim Donald Trump is a secret lizard person or Hillary Clinton is an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7710],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7710"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/estaql.com\/seo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/estaql.com\/seo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/estaql.com\/seo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/estaql.com\/seo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/estaql.com\/seo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37852"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/estaql.com\/seo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37852\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/estaql.com\/seo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/estaql.com\/seo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/estaql.com\/seo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}