Fake news is like a misleading story that pretends to be real. Imagine someone telling you a tall tale that sounds true but isn't. Fake news can be like that. Typically, there are two main types of fake news:
1. Purposefully False Stories
Some people write and share stories that they know are not true. They might do this to change what people think or to get more people to visit a certain website.
2. Mixed Truth Stories
Other times, a story might have bits of real information but gets most of the details wrong. This could be because the person writing the news didn’t double-check everything, or they might stretch the truth a bit to make their story sound more interesting or convincing.
Spotting Fake News: A Guide for Smart Readers
Fake news is like a tricky puzzle. But with the right clues, we can figure it out! Here's how to spot those sneaky fake news stories:
1. Look at the Website's Design
Sites that share fake news often don't look very professional. They might have lots of ads, use pictures they didn't take themselves, or just look a bit messy.
2. Check the News Outlet
Always ask, "Who's sharing this news?" If you've never heard of them, or they're not known to be trustworthy, it's a good idea to look elsewhere online to double-check.
3. Examine the Website's Address
Some sneaky fake news sites use addresses that end in strange ways unlike “.com.co” or “.lo”. Keep an eye out for those!
4. About the Website
Real news sites usually have sections like "About Us" that tell you more about them. If that's missing, or they don't give clear information, be cautious.
5. Who Wrote the Article?
Good news stories tell you who wrote them. If there’s no author name, that's a red flag! And if there is a name, search it online to see if they're a real, respected writer.
6. Look for Clues in the Writing
Fake news can have mistakes like misspelled words, lots of words in ALL CAPS, or just weird grammar.
7. Check the Sources
Real news gives you sources so you can see where the information came from. Fake news might use made-up sources or not mention any at all. Also, if there are pictures, searching for those images online can help you see if they're real or taken from somewhere else.
8. Search for Similar News
If you read something surprising, look it up online. If no other trustworthy sites are talking about it, it might be fake.
Remember, always be a detective when reading the news. It's better to be safe than sorry!
How can we evaluate images?
Critical evaluation of images is very important for the identification of fake news. Most of the time images are recycled to gain the interest of readers but they can provide visual “proof” for fake news with the support of reverse image search.
Visual evaluation
Evaluation of Images is possible on several levels. Visual analysis is a significant step in evaluating an image and spotting the fake one. It can be done by paying attention to its various elements such as:
- What is present in the image and what is the image about?
- What is happening in the image and How its different elements are presented?
- What is the effectiveness of the image as a visual message?
Search by image provides support in finding the answers to the above-mentioned queries.
Textual evaluation
Textual information provided with the image possesses its unique value. Search by image technique helps to validate the source of Textual information. Textual evaluation can be evaluated by following queries:
- What statistics accompany the image?
- Is the textual statistics planned to be accurate, or is it predicted to affect what and how people see?
- What sort of context do the facts provide? Does it answer the queries and for whom was the image made?
Checking Where an Image Comes From
To figure out if an image is real or fake, ask yourself:
- Where is this image found? Which website is showing it?
- What does the website tell us about where the image came from?
- Can we trust where the image is coming from?
You can find out more about an image by using special tools that search the internet just for pictures!
Looking at the Image's Quality
When checking an image's quality, think about:
- Is the image big enough for what you need?
- How do the colors and lighting in the picture seem? Does everything look balanced?
- What kind of file is the image? (like HEIC, JPEG, PNG or WEBP)
- Is there a little symbol or note that says someone owns the picture? That means it's copyrighted, and we might not be able to use it freely.
Using the same picture-search tools, you can also find out more about an image's quality and where it's been used before. A lot of times, Iphone users convert heic photos to jpg or jpeg for using them in android or Windows. This helps you know if it's a real or copied picture.
Image evaluation via Search by image
- Search by image technique is a content-based image retrieval technique that helps to spot the fake image in the blink of an eye.
- Different AI-based tools such as duplichecker.com possess the potential to complete the search process flawlessly. This reverse photo lookup tool helps to identify different objects in an image and find the image’s original creators. It helps to find similar images to check if the provided information is accurate everywhere.
- This process of image search requires an image or relevant keyword as an input to initiate the search procedure.
- A reverse image search tool helps to find people who are publishing fake news without attributing credits or mentioning the rightful author.
Conclusion
Fake news can trick us with stories that aren't true and with pictures that aren't what they seem. But with some smart moves, like checking where the news comes from or using special tools to search for pictures, we can be great news detectives! Always double-check before believing something, especially online. By doing this, we make sure we only trust real stories and pictures. So, the next time you see a surprising news story or picture, remember these tips and stay ahead of the fakes!
Keep reading
- Human waste affects birds nest: Research
- Climate change leads to decline in bird reproduction worldwide
- Your bird feeders might not be good for the birds, know why!
Follow Ground Report for Climate Change and Under-Reported issues in India. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Koo App, Instagram, Whatsapp and YouTube. Write us on [email protected].