The recent xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals around the country, especially in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, has seen many images, information and videos spread online on social media which was not related to the story and falsely claiming incidents that did not occur or happened years previously.
The City of Johannesburg Department of Public Safety released ways the public can spot fake news, they include:
- Read beyond the headline: Headlines can be sensational in an effort to get the reader to click to read more, but what is the whole story?
- Consider the source: Read further, you can investigate the site by reading its mission statement and its contact details
- Check the author: Quick research on the author and check if they are real or exist
- Check the date of the article: Reposting old articles does not mean they are relevant to current events
- Is the post a joke? If the story is too out there or outlandish, the story might be satire, research the author and the site
- Supporting sources: Check the hyperlinks used in the story, determine if the links support the story
- Check your biases: Consider if your bias and beliefs affect judgement
- Is the story authentic: Use Google reverse image search or tin eye before sharing images, these sites help give you the date the image was first used or published, some images may not be related to a current story
- Mainstream media can be your friend: check mainstream media for contents on aspects of a story
So, make sure before you share to check the source to avoid spreading misinformation.
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