Spot Fake News: Self-Check to Get the Facts - Essay Sample

Introduction

Wynne Davis, in the article 'Fake or real? How to self-check the news and get the facts' discusses fake and real news and provides ways of discerning the two. Fake news is becoming rampant in the United States. Many websites have dedicated resources and time to offering rumors, and outright lies to the consumer. Indeed, there are many issues that the consumer is not aware of, expecting the media to give them new information and grapevine. There are many instances where fake news has emanated from unknown sources only to make it to major social media channels. The impact of fake news can no longer be ignored. Although fake news continues to be an issue of concern, there are ways to identify them, thus avoiding their impact.

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The article offers various examples of fake news stories that have been spread over the media. One example of fake news is Pope Francis' endorsement of Donald Trump (Davis, 2016). The story was indeed very popular in the lead up to the 2016 Presidential Elections in the United States (Davis, 2016). Even though this information was incorrect, the impact was that it indeed popularized Trump a great deal among devout Catholics. The second story mentioned in the article that is indeed fake news is the story of an armed man who entered a Washington, D.C pizzeria and fired the rifle inside the building (Davis, 2016). The story begins by indicating that 'Police are investigating...,'indicating one of the tactics used by fake news websites.

The article stresses the importance of news consumers to verify the information before sharing it on social media websites. The article presents the case that civic responsibility on social media channels and general online civility is necessary. People who spend time online are advised to follow several steps to verify the validity of a source. These tips include; checking the URL (universal resource locator) of the website from which they get the information. It is also important to read the 'About Us' section of the website to verify the identity of the writers or organization supporting the article.

There are many measures to take to avoid being a victim of fake news websites. One of these approaches is by looking at the quotes in the story. Many stories often cite outside sources as contributors. Where there are no sources, it may be necessary to avoid taking the story seriously. The article also asks readers to check the comments section of the story. Many a time, a fake story will have a comments section where readers will offer their response and thoughts about it. One will likely find a comment about the validity of the information, either approving or disapproving the validity of the story.

Reading through the article by Davis (2016) would help one understand how to distinguish between verifiable news sources and fake news. The article is very critical of fake news and as such, offers a lot of diagnostic steps to figure out whether a story is fake or not. The author also cautions the readers not to expect social media websites to sieve through information online and offer advisories on the accuracy of stories posted. Many such websites indeed allow people to post whatever information they wish. The article nonetheless warns that in cases where fake news is not managed or identified quickly, it may have repercussions on the security of the region and even affect the general mentality of a person reading the news.

Reference

Davis, W. (2016). How to Be Authentic. Fake or Real? How To Self-Check The News And Get The Facts. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/12/05/503581220/fake-or-real-how-to-self-check-the-news-and-get-the-facts