How can you tell the difference between real news and fake news? Fake news takes the form of misleading or false information that鈥檚 becoming all too common on the internet today. Digital technology has made it easy to churn out fake photos, videos and articles that can pass for the real thing. It鈥檚 smart to be skeptical 鈥� particularly when children are involved. Fake news can trick or defraud people and it鈥檚 often shared by others who don't realize they鈥檝e been duped. It鈥檚 critical that parents and kids learn to identify fake news and here are some clues to help:
- Check the URL. Look for unusual URLs or site names, including those that end with 鈥�.co鈥� 鈥� these sites often try to appear legitimate but typically they鈥檙e not. If in doubt, your child should ask a parent or teacher for help.
- Is it 鈥榖reaking鈥� 鈥� or 鈥榝aking鈥� 鈥� news? Are other credible mainstream news outlets ignoring the 鈥榖reaking news鈥� that your child is seeing? If so, that doesn't mean what they are viewing is fake, but it does mean they should, with your help, dig deeper to separate fact from fiction.
- Sensational headlines. Headlines can certainly appear outrageous when their goal is to generate clicks. Headlines written in capital letters or using huge numbers that simply don鈥檛 look right are suspicious. Explain to your child that it鈥檚 important not to take a headline or social media splash at face value 鈥� read the whole story before deciding whether it鈥檚 real, fake or simply exaggerated. Also, watch out for outrageous or unrealistic images that may be fake or digitally altered.
- Assess the language and structure of websites. User-friendly, easy-to-read websites are more likely to be accurate and reliable than those presenting unusual information or hard-to-read fonts and odd formatting. In addition to the structure, check for spelling or grammatical errors. Well-researched articles are typically closely edited before posting.
- Consider the source. Click away from the story to investigate the entire site and what it contains. Find out who supports the site or who is associated with it. If this information doesn't exist, be suspicious.
- Check the author. Is the author missing? Most authors who put time into a well-researched article will likely have their name attached to it. If the author鈥檚 name is listed, your child should do a quick search on the author. Are they credible? Are they real?
- Look at dates. It鈥檚 not unusual for news stories from years gone by to resurface and start trending, so teach your child to look for a story鈥檚 publication date. Older articles may contain outdated information.
- Use respected sources. Information on popular sites or on social media can be misleading. Use only reliable content sources that have been reviewed before publication on websites.
- Supporting articles. Kids should keep an eye out for 鈥榬elated鈥� articles that are not reporting news or that are part of 鈥榮ponsored content鈥� sections, intended to distract them and encourage clicks.
Fake news can pop up anytime and it gains traction 鈥� and believability 鈥� when it starts to be widely disseminated across social media and other channels. Teach your child to read stories or posts thoroughly and determine how reliable they are before they hit 鈥榮hare.鈥� Remind them that just because someone has shared something previously, it doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean it鈥檚 true. Finally, teach your child to trust their instincts. If something sounds ridiculous or too good to be true, it probably is.
