Be careful of falling for fake news
Fake news is taking the country by storm and more and more consumers are falling for the lies spread by these bogus websites.
Social media users need to be cautious of spreading these fake news articles online as this causes more confusion among people, increasing lies that may very well do harm.
Avoid falling victim to fake news by looking at a few things before you believe any of what you are reading.
Read: 7 easy tips on how to spot a fake Facebook profile
Firstly, look at the name of the publication and its URL.
Normally, a well-known and trusted publication’s name would correspond with their URL.
If it is still unclear at this stage whether or not it is a factual story, google the name of the publication.
Compare the URLs and carefully look at the names, there may be numbers in the name and URL where there wouldn’t usually be.
Also, if you are still not sure, try googling the context of the story.
Read: 15 facts that sound fake but are actually true
Chances are that if it’s true, other news sites may also have published it (this is not a complete fail-safe, but can pinpoint to the truth more).
Look for sources mentioned in the article, these names can be researched to see if it is correct.
If the website looks strange with advertisements that aren’t considered normal, it may be likely that it is not a trustworthy publication.
