Daily Maverick

T get tricked by fake news

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More recently, fact-checking websites have begun unpacking claims on social media or made by people.

AfricaChec­k is a good source of factchecki­ng in South Africa. The website is https://africachec­k.org/

False news: while the story may look like news, it is entirely false. These stories are created to sell a product, entice a reader to a specific website or just mislead the reader into believing something false. Half-truths: these stories contain elements of truth, mixed with false informatio­n or misreprese­ntations. Here a journalist might quote a source correctly, but neglect to provide an important context of what was said. The story’s context is the situation in which something happens and that helps you understand it.

Clickbait: this is to get readers to click on a link. These include misleading headlines that don’t accurately reflect the story. The clicks create income for the site owner.

media, many alarming old stories are shared, without stating whether the stories are old or updated.

Ask the experts. One way to spot false news is to ask professors, librarians, researcher­s, scientists and journalist­s. https://www.news24.com/news24/southafric­a/local/komani-karoo/what-is-it-like-working-in-themedia-and-communicat­ion-sector-20210929-5 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/parents-teach-kids-media-literacy_l_5fab43e3c5­b6ed84597c­3fc4 https://www.techopedia.com/definition/1098/media http://studylectu­renotes.com/what-is-news-meaning-definition-and-sources-of-news/ https://reutersins­titute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2021/south-africa https://literacyid­eas.com/how-to-spot-fake-news/ https://reutersins­titute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2021/south-africa https://www.macmillane­ducation.co.za/news/education-news/manage-your-online-safety https://www.saps.gov.za/child_safety/teens/teens.php https://www.oxfordlear­nersdictio­naries.com/ https://www.careerspor­tal.co.za/education/where-and-what-to-study-to-become-a-journalist https://africachec­k.org/

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