KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE—Fake news is out there. We all agree on that. Whether some news is fake or not is not the issue. Knowing the difference between fake news and the real stuff is the problem.
What we’re learning is that the best insurance against phony facts is our own diligence. Care and caution win the day. Watch out for group think.
As an example, Pacific Standard’s Tom Jacobs reports on Academy of Sciences findings that formats like Facebook are ‘fertile ground’ for fake news. There is an inclination to assume that when information comes to you in a group setting it is more likely proofed and fact checked. A horrendously false assumption.
Here’s a CityWatch Mini-Guide for protecting against fake news.
- Know the source.
- Be skeptical. Question everything.
- Fact check anything you do not know to be true.
- Don’t believe in alternative facts.
- If it seems too farfetched to be true, it is.
- Look for agenda’s. What does this writer want from me.
- The responsibility for knowing what is fake and what is real is yours.
Ken Draper-Editor, CityWatch
