Anyone can publish anything on the Internet. Therefore, it's important to critically examine the information you encounter, especially on social media. The following list of criteria is not comprehensive, but can help you spot fake or misleading information.
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Authorship: Can I identify the author? Does s/he have the credentials to write accurately on the subject? |
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Bias: Was the article published by a partisan organization or written to provoke an emotional response? |
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Currency: Does the publication date affect the accuracy of the source? Claims are often disproved over time. |
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Sources: Are there other sources that confirm that article's claims? Does the article refer to an original source? Am I able to find that source and judge it for myself? |
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Design: Does the website look as if it were designed by a professional or an amateur? Is it heavily ad-laden? Are there spelling and grammar mistakes? |
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Domain: Does the website have an unusual URL? Site names that end in "lo" like "Newslo" are often fake. URLs like ".com.co" can be fake version of the real one. |
