Top 3 tips to spot fake news

Introduction

Not sure if a headline is fake news or not? Here are three tips to check whether a story is fact or fiction.

Fake news is flooding our social media – but you can spot it if you know what to look for.

1) Check the Source

Before you take any story at face value, check where it’s coming from. Is it a reputable outlet with a history of accurate reporting? Or is it a site you’ve never heard of that’s pushing sensational stories?

2) Cross-Reference Information

Don’t rely on a single source. Check the facts it presents against multiple other sources, especially those that have a different viewpoint. If a claim is true, multiple sources should verify it.

3) Look for Emotional Manipulation

Fake news and propaganda often use emotionally charged language to sway opinions.

  • If an article is using fear-mongering, sweeping generalizations, or irrelevant personal attacks instead of reasoned arguments – be skeptical.
  • If the article is trying to make you angry, afraid, or smug – be skeptical.

Activating your emotions doesn’t prove a piece of news is fake, but it is a sign to take an extra-careful look.


All sources:

Claim: Zelenskyy started the war with Russia Claim: Zelenskyy is a dictator Claim: Zelenskyy has a 4 percent approval rating Claim: The US has spent $350bn to help Ukraine Claim: Zelenskyy said he doesn't know where half of the money
Despite the unsubstantiated statements of the Russian Defen?e Ministry, Russia continued shelling Ukraine even after the US President talked on the phone with the Kremlin leader. Energy infrastructure in the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions was shelled. In total on the
The Verdict False. The viral video is a clip from a music video by a Ukrainian combat medic who goes by the call sign 'Vitsik' and an artist called Misha Scorpion.
The Verdict: Fake. Comparing the original CNN video with the viral clip shows that AI audio was inserted to falsely portray Rubio threatening to cut Starlink to Ukraine.
The 100-year partnership agreement between Ukraine and the UK was never "secret". The text of this document is easily available in open sources. Moreover, there is nothing in it that contradicts the agreement between Ukraine and the US on rare
On Sept. 22, 2024, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited a Scranton, Pennsylvania, ammunition plant to thank its workers, with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was a surrogate for vice president and then-Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Legal experts said that
Verdict: False. There is no evidence that this outlet reported this. There is no evidence that 70,000 Ukrainian troops died in the Kursk offensive.