Author: Fake News Fighter

Can you tell the difference between real news and fake news? Around two thirds of Americans are “very” or “somewhat” confident that they can (65%).  

We asked YouGov Chat users to tell us how they personally sort truth from fiction. You can share your views on fake news here.   

Here’s some of the advice they had to offer.   

Always check the sources. 

• “I use credible sources, I check multiple sources, I use primary sources.” 

• “If something sounds off, I research it. I try to find actual video footage online or articles that elaborate things that might have been taken out of context. I don’t trust the media to give me unbiased truth.” 

• “I have read up on ways to tell the difference between sources & I cross reference ALL sources.”  
   

Be wary of wording.  

• “I do thorough cross checking, research,etc. I also know certain ‘groups’ use certain phrasing, terminology, etc.”  

• “The media uses terms like ‘people assume’ or ‘might have said’.”  

• “I also
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Last year, Facebook blocked networks linked to Pakistan’s military and

a global network of pro-Indian fake websites and think-tanks was exposed, which had been aimed at influencing decision-making in Europe.

The forces behind voter manipulation have more tools and tactics at their disposal than ever before. FT technology reporter Hannah Murphy runs through what to look out for in the run up to this year’s US presidential contest

You can enable subtitles (captions) in the video player

Russian bots, meme warfare, home-grown trolls and deep fakes. With all the fake news and misinformation out there you might feel there’s no way to trust what you’re hearing about the upcoming US election and its result. But that’s exactly what these hostile influences want you to think. The best chance they have at disrupting an election could be to undermine voter confidence.

When your goal is to create chaos and panic, the very fact of being caught doing electoral interference can actually be helpful.

What they’re hoping and what they’re trying to do is to use the fact that they’re getting caught to make us all think they’re everywhere.

By elevating trolls to this level we inject this paranoia into the political system where everybody believes everybody else is a Russian troll.

And it makes it so easy for people to demonise whoever is not them. And I think that’s why we see this rise of radical groups and extremist content.

This isn’t just an issue for US voters. We should all be on the lookout for online manipulation. But as the showdown between Donald Trump and Joe Biden reaches its climax here are some of the most worrying trends to look out for. Back in 2016 fake social media accounts were a favoured tool for hostile actors looking to infiltrate online communities and stir up political tension.

They would slowly talk about the most divisive issues of the
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Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press
Published Tuesday, October 20, 2020 3:47PM EDT
Last Updated Tuesday, October 20, 2020 11:51PM EDT

With just two weeks until Election Day, social media sites are cracking down on posts riddled with misinformation and misleading claims. Several companies have started to label — and occasionally remove — posts spreading false information, commonly referred to as ‘fake news.’ 

Take Facebook, for example. After years of utilizing a “hands-off approach,” the social media giant has made moves over the last few months to halt the spread of misinformation. 

In June, Facebook began labeling posts with unverified information about voting, directing users to local and state officials. This included some posts from President Donald Trump. 

Additionally, Twitter announced Oct. 9 it would ban features from its site ahead of the election — making it more difficult for users to mindlessly retweet false information. 

But how prevalent is this issue of “fake news” — and how can social media users learn to spot it? 

What exactly is fake news? 

To put simply, fake news is… well just that. False stories intended to sway an audience. 

“Fake news is often sensational with claims that are sweeping or grandiose,” said Sam Rhodes, a political science professor at Utah Valley University. “It’s very rarely nuanced or detailed. It’s almost always this large conspiracy, this groundbreaking email or video or something that you probably haven’t heard of before that moment.”

As humans, we’re often drawn to these stories, Rhodes said. The natural instinct to turn toward a car accident is the same instinct you use when you see a compelling headline on social media. 

“Because it’s
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