10 Tips to Spot Fake News on Facebook

Facebook is undoubtedly one of the biggest social media network that this generation has seen. It already acquired Instagram, Whatsapp and other social media platform. Recently it's Messenger app has been revamped and can do almost anything what Snapchat can do.

With the great reach of Facebook(as of December 31, 2016,  there 1.86 billion monthly active users) it's one of the most used social media platform out there both in mobile and personal computer. From 2014, the year it was founded up to this day, Facebook has enormously evolved and became part of our lives. 

It evolved that even publications, media, bloggers, brands turned to Facebook as their means to reach more people. We, Benteuno.com, for one, use Facebook to promote the articles we publish and find new followers who share the same interest as ours.

The bigger and more popular it grew, the harder it has to tell for an individual to tell which news is real from fake. More often than not it goes out of hand and spreads like wildfire. that a Facebook user can no longer distinguish the true news from fake, satire or just a propaganda as many tend to easily believe what they read or see in Facebook. One other major problem is Facebook users easily share and make this fake/false news go viral

So how can we tell, if we're reading the good from the bad, the true from the false news? 

Tips to Spot Fake/False News

As per Facebook, they "...want to stop the spread of false news on Facebook." Here are some tips on how identify if you're reading fake/false news and how to deal with them.

1. Be skeptical of headlines. False news stories often have catchy headlines in all caps with exclamation points. If shocking claims in the headline sound unbelievable, they probably are.
2. Look closely at the URL. A phony or look-alike URL may be a warning sign of false news. Many false news sites mimic authentic news sources by making small changes to the URL. You can go to the site to compare the URL to established sources.
3. Investigate the source. Ensure that the story is written by a source that you trust with a reputation for accuracy. If the story comes from an unfamiliar organization, check their "About" section to learn more.
4. Watch for unusual formatting. Many false news sites have misspellings or awkward layouts. Read carefully if you see these signs.
5. Consider the photos. False news stories often contain manipulated images or videos. Sometimes the photo may be authentic, but taken out of context. You can search for the photo or image to verify where it came from.
6. Inspect the dates. False news stories may contain timelines that make no sense, or event dates that have been altered.
7. Check the evidence. Check the author's sources to confirm that they are accurate. Lack of evidence or reliance on unnamed experts may indicate a false news story.
8. Look at other reports. If no other news source is reporting the same story, it may indicate that the story is false. If the story is reported by multiple sources you trust, it's more likely to be true.
9. Is the story a joke? Sometimes false news stories can be hard to distinguish from humor or satire. Check whether the source is known for parody, and whether the story's details and tone suggest it may be just for fun.
10. Some stories are intentionally false.Think critically about the stories you read, and only share news that you know to be credible.

Source: Facebook

How about you? How do you manage fake news and spot them? Please share cia comments below.

If it's too god to be true, don't buy it. Even the mainstream media were lured to post news but eventually paid for their actions when they found out that the news they published didn't come from a reliable source or just a satire news. Yes, we have to take responsibility for what we share.

What differs false news in Facebook from a non-sense gossip your nosy neighbor shared to you? None! So stop spreading it, and quickly report it.