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HOW TO VERIFY NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

By: Abia Iris





    We live in an era where every information can be obtained on the Internet. We no longer depend fully on news channels or the newspaper because the Internet provide us with latest and updated information. However, the Internet is also a platform open to all. This means that not every information posted on the Internet is 100% accurate or true. As wise users, we ought to check on what we are reading so that we know that the particular piece of information is valid and we won't end up spreading rumours. Here are a few ways you can use to verify news you see on social media.

1)      Consider the source

Apart from the news you discover, click away from the story to investigate the site and its contact info. Since it is online, not all sources can be trusted and therefore before believing any sort of news we should further investigate it. Cross-reference your news sources is recommended. For instance, you may use Google News. You are able to check if the news is reported by reputable media. And if the news cannot be collaborated by another legitimate source, most probably the news is false.

 

2)      Read beyond

Fake stories have very catchy headlines but when you began to read on, the story simply doesn’t add up. Instead of just reading the headlines, read the whole story to know the details. Often on online news, viewers tend to read the headlines and ignore the content of the news and thus it can lead to viewers having their own assumption on the news, misinterpretation or spreading of false news.

 

3)      Check the author

The online platform has given a vast opportunity to everyone. From online journalist to a normal person in the public, every can write their own opinion or story as they like on the web. If you were to find certain news on the social media, check for the author of that news and do a quick research on it. From there you can identify whether they are real journalist or some random person writing whatever he or she likes.

 

4)      Check the date

News must be something new and latest. Reposting old stories or article doesn’t mean they are current issue. Whenever reading news online, consider checking on the date it was posted to see if it occurred recently or just a story from the past.

 

5)      Supporting sources

Usually verified news on social media has links that interconnect them to various verified sources that approves the news. If you came across any news article on the social media, try clicking on those links to determine if the info given actually supports the news piece you are reading.

6)      Ask experts

A good thing about social media is that it provides a two-way communication instead of one. From just reading the news you can interact with the person who issued the news and with other readers as well. There are many experts you can find online. So if you happened to have a doubt on the piece of news you are reading, you might as well take a chance to ask the experts opinion. You may also visit the library to look for sources related to the news you are reading. There are also fact-checking websites such as Fact Checking Explorer (FCE). Fact-checking application uses fact-based verification to determine if the info is true or not. These checks are widely accessible online. If you happen to have doubt on something you are reading, use the FCE and it will help you to browse for checks on specific or related topics.  However, using the web as a tool can be slightly critical because it is a platform open to all.

 

7)      Look at the URL

URL is a web address. Some sites may look like reputable media, but are actually not. They will use domain names similar to a reputable media, such as “nst.com.my”. If you aren’t sure, go to your search engine and type the media name (like NST or The Star). Usually the first link will be the right website. You can then search on that site for the news you were reading.

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