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    How To Spot Fake News

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    M J
    1. The document provides tips for spotting fake news online, which has become an increasing problem. It discusses how to check the source of a news story by looking at the website it comes from. 2. Fake photos are often used in fake news stories, so the document advises to check photos for alterations using tools like Google Reverse Image search. 3. Readers are told to check if a story appears on other trusted news sites, as real news organizations fact check before publishing.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    How To Spot Fake News

    Uploaded by

    M J
    17 views5 pages
    1. The document provides tips for spotting fake news online, which has become an increasing problem. It discusses how to check the source of a news story by looking at the website it comes from. 2. Fake photos are often used in fake news stories, so the document advises to check photos for alterations using tools like Google Reverse Image search. 3. Readers are told to check if a story appears on other trusted news sites, as real news organizations fact check before publishing.

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    1. The document provides tips for spotting fake news online, which has become an increasing problem. It discusses how to check the source of a news story by looking at the website it comes from. 2. Fake photos are often used in fake news stories, so the document advises to check photos for alterations using tools like Google Reverse Image search. 3. Readers are told to check if a story appears on other trusted news sites, as real news organizations fact check before publishing.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    17 views5 pages

    How To Spot Fake News

    Uploaded by

    M J
    1. The document provides tips for spotting fake news online, which has become an increasing problem. It discusses how to check the source of a news story by looking at the website it comes from. 2. Fake photos are often used in fake news stories, so the document advises to check photos for alterations using tools like Google Reverse Image search. 3. Readers are told to check if a story appears on other trusted news sites, as real news organizations fact check before publishing.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    You are on page 1of 5

    How to spot fake

    news
    Read some tips for spotting fake news to practise and improve your reading skills.

    Before reading
    Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

    Preparation task
    Complete the sentences with words from the box.

    bombard fooled unrelated source

    fake subtle phenomenon sure

    1. A......................is something that is designed to look real but isn’t.


    2. If you.....................someone with messages or information, you give them so
    much
    that it is difficult to deal with at all.
    3. A......................is a rare or important fact or event.
    4. If something is...................., it is not obvious and it is difficult to notice.
    5. If you are...................., you are tricked into believing something that is not
    true.
    6. If you are....................about something, you are confident that it is true or
    correct.
    7. If something is....................to something else, the two things have nothing to
    do
    with each other.
    8. A......................is a thing, person or place that provides information.

    Reading text: How to spot fake news


    Every time you’re online, you are bombarded by pictures, articles, links and videos
    trying to tell their story. Unfortunately, not all of these stories are true. Sometimes they
    want you to click on another story or advertisement at their own site, other times
    they want to upset people for political reasons. These days it’s so easy to share
    information. These stories circulate quickly, and the result is … fake news.
    There is a range of fake news: from crazy stories which people easily recognise to
    more subtle types of misinformation. Experts in media studies and online psychology
    have been examining the fake news phenomenon. Read these tips, and don’t get
    fooled!
    1. Check the source
    Look at the website where the story comes from. Does it look real? Is the text well
    written? Are there a variety of other stories or is it just one story? Fake news
    websites often use addresses that sound like real newspapers, but don’t have many
    real stories about other
    topics. If you aren’t sure, click on the ‘About’ page and look for a clear
    description of the organisation.

    2. Watch out for fake photos


    Many fake news stories use images that are Photoshopped or taken from an unrelated
    site. Sometimes, if you just look closely at an image, you can see if it has been
    changed. Or use a tool like Google Reverse Image search. It will show you if the
    same image has been used in other contexts.
    3. Check the story is in other places
    Look to see if the story you are reading is on other news sites that you know and
    trust. If you do find it on many other sites, then it probably isn’t fake (although there
    are some exceptions), as many big news organisations try to check their sources before
    they publish a story.
    4. Look for other signs
    There are other techniques that fake news uses. These include using ALL CAPS and lots of
    ads that pop up when you click on a link. Also, think about how the story makes you
    feel. If the news story makes you angry, it’s probably designed to make you angry.
    If you know these things about online news, and can apply them in your everyday life,
    then you have the control over what to read, what to believe and most importantly what to
    share. If you find a news story that you know is fake, the most important advice is:
    don’t share it!

    Tasks

    Task 1
    Circle the best title for the text.

    a. Experts share dangers of fake news


    b. Experts share top tips for resisting fake news
    c. How to create fake news: a guide
    d. Tips on how to read the news online

    Task 2
    Circle the correct answers.

    1. Which reason is NOT given for an online fake news story?


    a. To convince people of a political view
    b. To make people angry or sad
    c. To plant a virus in your computer
    2. The text says some fake news …
    a. is easy to recognise as fake.
    b. is funny.
    c. comes from the political right.

    3. Which of these may mean that a news site should not be trusted?
    a. The text is well written.
    b. The site has a variety of other stories.
    c. The site’s ‘About’ page does not clearly describe the organisation.

    4. Some images on fake news …


    a. are real images, but come from a different website.
    b. are images that have been changed.
    c. both the above

    5. Fake news stories …


    a. are usually only on fake news sites or social media.
    b. are not on any websites, only in social media.
    c. are often hidden on real news sites.

    6. Many fake news stories are written …


    a. without capital letters and with terrible spelling.
    b. in a way that makes people upset.
    c. inside of advertisements that pop up on your screen.

    7. What should you do with fake news?


    a. Report it to the police
    b. Make a note of it for reference
    c. Not show it to other people online

    8. What is the purpose of this article?


    a. To complain
    b. To inform
    c. To entertain

    Discussion
    Have you ever read a fake news story online? Are you worried about this problem?

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