Social media is full of fake news. Here are a few tips to help identify it:
- Avoid getting your news from social media: If you see a post on Facebook with news you have not heard anywhere else, that is a red flag
- Don’t trust strangers: If you don’t recognize the source or the author, that is a red flag
- Is it a meme? A meme is any image file with words on it.
If a meme has information you haven’t heard before: red flag - Does the information have an obvious bias?If it does, it’s probably an opinion piece or propaganda: red flag
- Can you verify the claims made? A quick Google search should provide additional sources
If you’re still not sure about a post’s validity, don’t share it; wait for the following news cycle to provide more insight.