The fact is, reposting old news content does not guarantee its relevance to current issues. But what about this? Well, let’s say somebody said sometime in the past for a reason. The same story may be picked and reposted today as a claim to justify current events. What a prominent person said in the past can be quoted to support another case of public interest and readers with little idea about the whole issue can easily take that for an issue.
Probably a Satire?
Yea, you got it, probably a satire or just another joke to entertain readers and people are taking it for news, well, fake news actually. Satire is, “The use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.” as explained by the Oxford dictionary.
A lot of these viral claims aren’t “news” at all, but fiction, satire and efforts to fool readers into thinking they’re for real.
FACTCHECK.ORG
People with little or no idea about satirical writings may take such parodies for the news and boom! There we go, another fake news. In an attempt to get readers’ attention, fake news creators like playing around satirical stories, usually those about recognized personalities with millions of followers online. Some writers can create a twist in real stories and nail readers to what has become a fabricated story.
Get help from fact check websites
What if 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 becomes difficult to follow, then here’s 7. Get help online from a fact check websites to ascertain the facts. Fact-checking is “the act of checking factual information in non-fictional text in order to determine the veracity and correctness of the factual statements in the text. This may be done either before (ante hoc) or after (post hoc) the text has been published or otherwise disseminated.”, as published on Wikipedia.
Check this Wikipedia entry for a list of fact-checking websites by regions. My favourites; Snopes, Hoax-Slayer, Fact Check and Africa Check. You can visit such websites, paste the title of whatever news you consider outrageous in their search fields and check the results. If there’s a record of that information in their database, you will definitely know, if the news is authentic or fake. Most of the fake news on records are just retouched versions of old hoaxes!
You’re responsible for what you believe!
The most important thing about the whole story is what you want to accept. Whoever posts the fake news out there, that’s their problem but it’s your own problem whether to believe the news or not. As the adage goes, “People are responsible for what they say but you’re responsible for how you take their message!” Always be sure of the fact before sharing any news you stumble upon, especially those on social media or from websites you’re not familiar with.
So next time you see something out there, be sure of the facts and never share without establishing the facts. Scrutinize what you stumble upon, separate the fact from the fictions and do follow strictly the authentic information. Always remember, “The inexperienced internet users always believe what they find on the internet at first sight without making sure of the facts!” Far from you.
Do share this article to educate your family and friends on social media and please don’t forget to add your voice to this educative article by writing your thoughtful comment below (scroll down a bit).
References: Wikipedia, IFLA, Fact Check
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