Break the fakeIt can be tough to tell what’s true and what’s “fake news” just by looking at a headline. But it’s easy to do a quick check and get the real facts when something doesn’t look right online. We want you to help us Break the Fake by stopping the spread of false info and getting Edenwood to check before sharing!
“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting its shoes on.” (attributed, wrongly, to Mark Twain) |
Sometimes a single search can break the fake, if a professional fact-checker has already done the work for you.
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Because it’s so easy to copy and share things online, it’s important to find out where something originally came from before you decide whether or not to trust it.
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Whether you’re looking at a website, a photo or video, or a news story, what really matters is whether or not the people who originally created it are trustworthy.
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Check Other Sources, may sometimes be the last one you do, but it could also be the first. It’s a quick way of sifting out bias and finding out whether something like a news story is for real.
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Why should you care about whether or not your news is real or fake?
What's wrong with fake news?
- You deserve the truth. You are smart enough to make up your own mind - as long as you have the real facts in front of you. You have every right to be insulted when you read fake news, because you are in essence being treated like an idiot.
- Fake news destroys your credibility. If your arguments are built on bad information, it will be much more difficult for people to believe you in the future.
- Fake news can hurt you, and a lot of other people. Purveyors of fake and misleading medical advice like Mercola.com and NaturalNews.com help perpetuate myths like HIV and AIDS aren't related, or that vaccines cause autism. These sites are heavily visited and their lies are dangerous.
- Real news can benefit you. If you want to buy stock in a company, you want to read accurate articles about that company so you can invest wisely. If you are planning on voting in an election, you want to read as much good information on a candidate so you can vote for the person who best represents your ideas and beliefs. Fake news will not help you make money or make the world a better place, but real news can.
Do a reverse image search
To find out do a reverse image search.
1. Open Google images in a new tab.
2. Left click the image and drag it to the Google Image Tab and drop it in the search box (a new image drop window will appear if you aim correctly)
1. Open Google images in a new tab.
2. Left click the image and drag it to the Google Image Tab and drop it in the search box (a new image drop window will appear if you aim correctly)
This is a Media Smarts unit that has been adapted.