POLOKWANE – Social media made the spreading of news so much easier. In the past you had to wait for the 19:00 TV news or the hourly news bulletin on the radio before you could hear the latest update on a current matter. Unfortunately, fake news is one of the consequences with the ease of sharing news instantly.
What is fake news? Fake news includes misinformation, hoaxes, propaganda and satire. Fake news seems too good to be true and usually lacks a reliable source. It is information that cannot be verified, are without sources, and are most possibly untrue.
Fake news stories are easily being shared as it is usually something people want to believe, such as Trump being shot or something they fear, such as the coronavirus claiming its first victim in Polokwane. Headlines for fake news are flashy and attract attention without people bothering to read the whole story. Think of some April Fool jokes that ran in the media.
• One of the very first things to do when you get a message about literally anything, but especially about sensational matters, is to ask yourself where did this news come from? Visit a reliable news source to see if they have it online. Check the domain name of the site where you read the message. Often, unusual domains such as “.com.co” are fake news.
• If you received a message via WhatsApp, copy it onto Google and see if you can find any alternative information that will prove it.
• Ask yourself why did someone send the message? Was it to created to cause disruption or panic? Was is propaganda?
• If a story seems too unreal and out-of-this world, think about a flying saucer seen only in one neighbourhood – it is fake.
• Satire is a legal type of story telling, but people need to distinguish between that and facts. Satire is the use of humour, irony, exaggeration or ridicule to expose and criticise people’s stupidity or vices. This can be seen in political opinion pieces.
• Look at the language used. Phrases such as “We are receiving reports”, “We can confirm” and “We have learned” are red flags.
Tip on finding out the truths about the source:
• Who did the author speak to and who not. A reliable source will have spoken to all parties included or state that a certain party was not available for comment.
Example of a fake news message on WhatsApp:
• Notice that the person does not name himself or the time and date.
• This message could not have been confirmed at the time.
• The person speaking did not speak to any reliable sources.
Example 2:
Message I received:
“We urge citizens to stay away from China Mall. Most of the owners went back to China to celebrate the Chinese New Celebrations. They are returning and some are bringing along the coronavirus. Rather be safe than sorry. Please share this with your contacts and keep our people from this deadly virus that is spreading rapidly, worldwide.” (sic)
By the time this message went viral in Polokwane, there were no cases of infection in South Africa or even Africa. This was sent by paranoid people who wanted to create mass hysteria.
There are many websites such as FactCheck.org, International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), PolitiFact.com, or Snopes.com, where you can fact check and see whether the website is a reliable source. Be your own detective and find out the truth before you broadcast it.
Sources: wikimedia.org / wnyc.org
