Read the text "How to spot fake news" Every time you're online, you are bombarded by y 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 recognize to subtler 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 organization. 2. Watch out for fake photos Many fake news stories use images that are Photo shopped 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 organizations 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! Task: 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 recognize 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. c. The site's 'About' page does not clearly describe the organization. b. The site has a variety of other stories. 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... are usually only on fake news sites or social media. c. are often hidden on real news sites. b. are not on any websites, only in social media. 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.