1. Social Media
Fighting the Fake Facts

2. The Problem
In this day and age, many people want to use the media to share information and keep people aware of events. However, some would rather use the media to share and promote fake news to further their own goals. Some also spread misinformation just to “troll” or fool people into believing something false. This spread of fake news must be fought at every turn, or else falsehoods may continue to be believed and shared as if they are real facts. This can have and already has had consequences.

3. Social Media Sites That Share News Easily:
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
Snapchat

4. Ways Fake News is shared
Fake news is shared in a variety of ways. The most common way is through social media. On Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you can Share/Retweet stuff, which allows fake news to be spread easily. Also, on the search for fake news, be sure you are on a verified website (CNN, WSJ, CBS, etc.) Fake websites pop up with false news all the time.

5. Examples of Fake News
There are many fake news stories that have circulated on the Internet. Many of them were designed to troll, and others to further political goals. One fake news story that was believed was about a construction worker finding thousands of rigged ballots for Hillary Clinton’s election. Others detailed that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, and yet more suggested that Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz weren’t born in America either. There are also fake news stories purely designed to troll people, such as one on Twitter about the Eye of London catching fire, and another about a riot at the London Zoo.

6. How to spot Fake News
There are many ways you can spot fake news. Fake News is everywhere on Social Media, on Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. If you see news on social media, make sure it has a credible source that you can look at. The more sources, the better. If the source is a known fake news site (The Onion, The Enquirer, etc.) then don’t take the news seriously. If you follow this advice, then you will be able to distinguish real news from falsehoods designed to manipulate people. Use social media wisely, kids.