How to outsmart fake news in your Facebook feed

Fake news is actually really easy to spot -- if you know how. Consider this your New Media Literacy Guide. • Source: CNN " data-fave-thumbnails="{"big": { "uri": "https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/161117163426-fake-news.jpg?q=x_96,y_11,h_966,w_1718,c_crop" }, "small": { "uri": "https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/161117163426-fake-news.jpg?q=x_96,y_11,h_966,w_1718,c_crop" } }" data-vr-video="false" data-show-html=" The Lead " data-byline-html=" " data-timestamp-html=" PUBLISHED Nov 18, 2016, 10:34 AM ET " data-check-event-based-preview="" data-is-vertical-video-embed="false" data-network-id="" data-publish-date="2016-11-17T22:22:45Z" data-video-section="politics" data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2016/11/17/fake-news-social-media-tapper-dnt-lead.cnn" data-branding-key="" data-video-slug="fake news social media tapper dnt lead" data-first-publish-slug="fake news social media tapper dnt lead" data-video-tags="barack obama,business and industry sectors,business, economy and trade,internet and www,journalism and news media,media industry,political figures - us,social media,technology" data-breakpoints='{"video-resource--media-extra-large": 660}' data-display-video-cover="true" data-details=""> Video Ad Feedback Fake news stories thriving on social media 3:05 • Source: CNN Fake news stories thriving on social media 3:05 Media Fighting disinformation Donald Trump Social media See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! It seems so simple, but if everyone knew that, Facebook and Google wouldn’t have to pull bogus news sites from their advertising algorithms and people wouldn’t breathlessly share stories that claim Donald Trump is a secret lizard person or Hillary Clinton is an android in a pantsuit. Fake news is actually really easy to spot – if you know how.

Consider this your New Media Literacy Guide. Fake news These are the easiest to debunk and often come from known sham sites that are designed to look like real news outlets. Misleading news These are the hardest to debunk, because they often contain a kernel of truth: A fact, event or quote that has been taken out of context. Highly partisan news A type of misleading news, this may be an interpretation of a real news event where the facts are manipulated to fit an agenda. But if people are not familiar with a satire site, they can share the news as if it is legitimate.

He says it’s important to have a “healthy amount of skepticism” and to think, really think, before sharing a piece of news. “People think this [thinking] applies only for older people,” she told CNN. Some fake sites, like National Report, have legitimate-sounding, if not overly general names that can easily trick people on social sites. Mantzarlis says one of the biggest reasons bogus news spreads on Facebook is because people get sucked in by a headline and don’t bother to click through . Mantzarlis recalls an erroneous story that actually cited a legitimate piece of news from CNNMoney.

It’s not just political news that can be bogus. Now8News is one of the most infamous fake-but-looks-real site, specializing in the kind of weird news stories that often go viral. Dasani or any number of consumer advocacy groups would publish statements or news releases about it, right? There are none to be found – because the story is 100% fake. They believe anything on Fox News.

Then, Donald Trump, as “reported” by fake news site WTOE 5 News. Finally, another fake news site KYPO6.com reported he had endorsed Hillary Clinton! In all of these instances, subseq Fake news is actually really easy to spot -- if you know how. Consider this your New Media Literacy Guide. How to outsmart fake news in your Facebook feed