By Erasmus Baxter
Fake news. The term has become a part of our national dialogue in recent months, alongside “alternative facts” and “Russian interference in the democratic process.” However, just like those terms, it is often used, but seldom fully understood. People have used the label “fake news” to describe everything from inaccurate reports, to stories they disagree with.
While a unifying definition is lacking, there is definitely a spectrum of fake news. At the far end, there is fake news that is a complete fabrication. This includes news, like that the pope endorsed Donald Trump, that is confirmably false. On the next step is stories that take parts of real news stories, that they often link to as a way of establishing a base of truth, and then adds additional, false details. This happened recently with a man who was killed when his gun accidently went off. A fake news site linked to the article, but claimed that he had been taking an anti-Trump selfie when it happened even though this was not the case. The third category takes things that really happened, but adds a partisan spin that was not there initially, or leaves out details. This includes websites like US Uncut or The Daily Caller.
What makes fake news untrue is intention. It is knowingly false, or created with a reckless disregard for the truth in service of an agenda. It is not news that you disagree with, as some, particularly President Trump, have tried to assert. Reputable news outlets make mistakes all the time. In fact, it’s astounding how much they are able to report accurately faced with deadlines and a hostile environment towards reporters. The difference is they have mechanisms in place to hold them accountable.
If the Washington Post publishes an incorrect story they will either remove it, or offer a correction. If a reporter knowingly reports a story that is false, they will be fired. They have no choice, their value as a newspaper comes from their reliability. If nobody can trust what they’re saying, they’ll go out of business. Fake news sites don’t care whether people trust them or not, they make their money by offering people things they want to be true. That’s why it’s so important to verify the things you read, especially if they fit with your beliefs.
There are few simple ways to do this. The easiest is to just google the headline of the story. If it’s true, you’ll likely find a number of other stories either confirming the news, or offering some kind of follow up. If it’s not, you’ll usually find stories explaining why, or a Snopes link debunking it. You can also cut out the middleman and just go straight to Snopes to verify the story.
Secondly, you can click on links inside the story. Many fake news stories will repeat things from other news outlets, but if you follow the link they use you’ll find the linked story doesn’t actually say what they say it does. They are relying on people being too lazy to actually follow the link; don’t be one of those people.
Finally, you can look at what other stories the website hosts. If the other stories also seem to fit unbelievably well with your political leanings, then take a closer look. If you can figure out which sites host fake news you can avoid clicking on them in the future, and save yourself time as well as avoid giving them money. For a guide to some common sites, check out the handy diagram (above) by attorney Vanessa Otero. On her blog, allgeneralizationsarefalse.com, Otero states that “More data would make it better. I am not a media expert.” Otero, a lawyer, said that she created the chart because of her frustration with a trend in disregard for “accuracy and quality” of news. For a well-written, thoughtful explanation of the chart, visit Otero’s blog.
These steps are important because fake news has a real effect. Recently, a gunman shot up a popular Washington D.C. pizza parlor. He was inspired by fake news stories claiming that it was a front for prostitution. While this particular individual was relatively new to the internet, having only gotten connected recently, fake news affects even the most seasoned internet users. The only real defense is taking the time to actually examine the things you are reading. So, next time you’re about to share a story on Facebook that seems too good to be true, pause, do your research, and help make the internet a better place.
ABOVE: This chart helps readers decide which news sources to trust. Image by Vanessa Otero.