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Fake News: Preventing Fake News

Fake News: the history, hysteria, and hype – and how to see through the subterfuge.

Social Media

Social media platforms are fighting back against fake news and misinformation. However, critics have said that these companies (like Google, Facebook, and Twitter) did too little, too late (even YouTube has been criticized). Following the explosion of fake news in 2016, social media companies were heavily criticized for their role in spreading fake news. They have, for the most part, taken positive strides in the years since.

However, we cannot completely rely on these social media platforms to do all of the work; it is also up to us to take on the responsibility of preventing the spread of fake news.

Examples of Social Media Fighting Fake News

  • Google, after years of criticism for collecting ad money on fake stories (which often get more views than real stories) and helping spread fake news, has launched the Google News Initiative. This program is part of Google’s $300 million investment to support journalism and fight misinformation.

  • YouTube, which is owned by Google, now has a tool that adds fact-check links to certain videos. But but this tool is not perfect, as it failed during 2019 coverage of the Notre Dame fire.
  • Some platforms (like Facebook and YouTube) have decided to ban conspiracy theory content, but there are easy ways around this.
  • Because of YouTube's recommendation algorithm/ engine, many videos and channels posing as news outlets managed to rack up millions of views on videos containing false and/or inflammatory content. However, YouTube is having some success with this battle and views of conspiracy videos are down.

Only You Can Prevent Fake News

We cannot completely rely on these social media platforms to do all of the work; it is also up to us to take on the responsibility of preventing the spread of fake news.

While it is almost impossible to prevent fake news, we can, however, strive to prevent its spread. If you’re not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Let’s all be part of the solution by following these steps:

  • Before sharing, commenting, or liking, it is paramount that you read past the title of the article.
  • Follow the steps from FactCheck.org/ IFLA, Harvard, and others to identify fake news and determine if there are any red flags.
  • Put the article or source to the test and use a fact-checking website (like Snopes).
  • Use the “Report” option on social media to flag posts that are spam, harmful, or inappropriate. Click the dots or downward arrow at the upper right of the post to report it.
  • Be responsible – Don’t try to fool people by sharing something that could be mistaken as a real story (don't be like this guy).
  • When in doubt, chicken out. If you are not sure if the article is true or the source is reliable, then don’t share, like, comment, etc. Think before you share.

In the wise words of Honest Abe: "Don't believe everything you read on the Internet."

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