readers be warned

Separating fact from fiction accurately can seem daunting. But getting to the truth is always worth the effort – even if it’s not what you want to hear. Use these 6 steps to weed lies from the truth:

1. Think critically

One of the reasons fake news is an issue is that it is often believable. Many fake news stories are written to create “shock” value.

This means we need to avoid emotional responses to such stories. Treat what we see and hear rationally and critically.

Ask yourself, “Was this written to persuade me of a certain viewpoint? Is it selling me a particular product? Is it trying to get me to click to another website?”

2. Check the source

If you see a story from a source you’ve never heard of, do some digging, Find out if it is a professional and well-known news agency or is it someone’s personal blog.

Check the web address. Strange-sounding ones that end in “.infonet” and “.offer,” rather than “.com” or “net” or that contain spelling errors make the source suspect.

Online sources like Snopes.com can help you verify news that may not be true.

3. See who else reports this

Has this story been picked up by other well-known news publishers? Stories from organizations like the Associated Press and Reuters have been checked and verified. Once reliable sources like the New York Times, CNN and the Washington Post aren’t as reliable as they once were.

People who spread fake news and “alternative facts” sometimes create web pages, newspaper mockups, or “doctored” images that look official but aren’t.

4. Examine the evidence

A credible news story will include plenty of facts – quotes from experts, survey data and official statistics, for example. If these are missing or the source is an unknown expert or a “friend,” question it.

Does the evidence prove that something definitely happened? Or, have the facts been “twisted” to back up a particular viewpoint?

5. Look for fake images

Editing software has made it easy for people to create fake images that look professional and real. Research shows that only half of us can tell when images are fake.

Warning signs to look for: Strange shadows on the image or jagged edges around a figure. If you still have doubts, you can use tools such as Google Reverse Image Search to check if the image was altered.

6. Check that It “sounds right”

Use common sense. If a story sounds unbelievable, it probably is. Bear in mind that fake news is designed to “feed” your biases or fears. And, remember, just because it sounds “right” doesn’t mean that it is.

For example, it’s unlikely that your favorite designer brand is giving away a million free dresses to people who turn up to its stores. Equally, just because your colleague believes that two married co-workers are having an affair, doesn’t mean it’s true.

Some stories that you’ll encounter will sound “wrong,” but won’t necessarily be fake news. They could be intentional satire, or something that comes from a humorous website like The Onion or The Daily Mash.

Those sites are just for laughs.