Fake News - a spotters guide #3

Sounds too good to be true? It probably is!

Image credit: Guy Downes

Fake news is really good at telling you what you want to hear.

You want to loose weight without doing exercise or cutting down on all the yummy food that you know deep down is bad for you? There will be a website that tells you how. But that doesn't mean it will work!

Be very wary of articles or websites that promise things that you really want to believe - especially if there are other sources telling you the opposite.

Did a little deeper and ask yourself:

• Who has written this?  What do they stand to gain if you believe what they are saying?
• Have they backed up their claims with evidence you can trust?
• Have they told you the whole story?

Adapted from:

Fontichiaro, K., Oehrli, A. and Hoff, T. (2017). Real strategies to address fake news. Retrieved 7 May, 2018, from http://datalit.sites.uofmhosting.net/2017/06/28/ala-poster-data-literacy-strategies-for-addressing-fake-news/