How to Spot Fake News
A public service offering from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, developed in conjunction with an After Hours panel discussion on June 28th, 2018. View the panel discussion here.
"Fake news" seems to be in the news a lot these days. Here we provide guidance on how to spot and counter fake news, with a focus on science news in general and marine science news in particular.
What is Fake News?
We divide it into misinformation and disinformation.
Read Beyond
Outrageous headlines attract clicks. But what’s the whole story?
Consider the Sources
Click deeper or do a search to examine the site, author, & date.
Heed the Presentation
NEVER believe ANYTHING with exclamation points & mispelings!!!!
Examine the Content
Be on the look-out for rhetorical tricks & logical fallacies.
Check your own biases
Don't let your own outlook blind you to different views.
Is it a joke?
Make sure you don't fall for a spoof, particularly around April 1st.
Ask the experts
VIMS & other science organizations offer ways to get the facts.