Ukraine: Spotting Fake News

Not a usual Nordhuset post, but one I hope you’ll consider important.

Top tips to check whether news is Fake or Fact

Conspiracy theories, false information, and photo-shopped images… As war spreads in Ukraine, so does the fake news.

Social Media giants are struggling to keep-up as they try to crack down on misinformation about the war in Ukraine.

Trying to distinguish fact from fiction is increasingly difficult, especially when world leaders have repeated inaccuracies and contradictions to their millions of followers.

Here are some top tips to help you distinguish fact from fake

1. Where did the info come from?

Look closely at the publication or site and look at its other stories – consider whether there is any other possible dodgy content.

2. Is it current?

Sometimes a story, an image or video from years ago can be re used to give the impression of ‘new’ news.

3. Look closer

Check whether the story has been published on other credible sites.

4. What’s underneath the headline?

Some publications and websites use ‘click-bait’ headlines as a way to encourage you to ‘click’ on the story. Sometimes the actual story bears no resemblance to its headline.

5. Research the author

If the article has a writer’s byline – Google them or checkout their social media accounts to see what other articles they’ve written, and try to work out whether they might have a hidden agenda or a particular line to push.

And lastly,

6. Check the facts

There are some great fact-checking websites such as: https://fullfact.org and https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ to use when you’re really not sure about a story.