In 2016, more so than any other year, Americans had multiple venues and devices to acquire news. For many, the internet became the primary news medium replacing television, radio and print newspapers. However, the internet also became the primary source of fake news sites.
These fake news sites publish hoaxes and disinformation to drive web traffic to their sites because many of the sites get paid per click or per 1000 views or paid per time frame. So it is to the website owner’s advantage to place as much attention grabbing material, whether true or not, on their site because they get paid for each visitor, regardless of whether that visitor clicks an ad.
So what was the 2016 top fake news story that appeared on Facebook? It came to us from the fake news site, ABCNews.com.co. The site published the fake story: “Obama Signs Executive Order Banning The Pledge of Allegiance In Schools Nationwide.” It was clicked on more than 2 million times earning the website owner, who is not ABC News, a considerable income. Fifty of the biggest 2016 fake news stories that appeared on Facebook can be found here.
So how can you tell if you’re reading a story from a fake news site? Vigilance and perseverance are required. Here are some things to look for:
– If the website’s final extension is .co instead of .com, chances are very good the site is a fake news site. CBSNews.com (which is legit) is NOT CBSNews.com.co (which is not).
– If the news source is RT.com, it is Russian Television. Their website is not fake news, it is propaganda. By the way, DO NOT install the Chrome browser extension. The results will not be…helpful.
– Check out the “Contact Us” page of the suspected website. If you can’t email them at the website address or fill out a contact form on the website itself, the site is probably fake. For example, the only way to contact anyone at Consfreedom.com ( a conservative “news” site) is to contact them via GMAIL (conservativefreedom2016@gmail.com). There is no website email address or on-site contact form.
– If the news source isn’t AP (Associated Press) or Reuters sourced, look for confirmation elsewhere before sharing the story on social media. Your friends will thank you later.
– Check out this article from CNET on how to avoid getting conned by fake news sites.
– Read a newspaper – a physical newspaper. Yeah, I know how that sounds, but printed newspaper articles are sourced and verified before publication. Otherwise, the newspaper is subject to legal action for untrue articles. If it appears in print, the newspaper’s website will probably post the verified article so that it can be shared.
– Finally, assume that no news story you read on social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) regardless of whether or not it agrees with your point of view, is true until you independently verify it. CNBC published 10 of the biggest fake news stories of 2016. None of these stories would have gone anywhere if social media users had stopped to independently verify these stories before sharing.
Will the above stop the fake news sites from making money off the uniformed? Nope. But it might stop them from making money off of you. As Ronald Reagan said, “Trust, but verify.”