Some government agencies and news outlets are now taking steps to try to reduce the impact of fake news.
In the summer of 2018, BBC News reported that a Parliamentary committee in the UK recommended that social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube bear more responsibility for harmful content published on their platforms, including facing higher taxes and legal liabilities. Similarly, the authors of a study on fake news in Brazil wrote an op-ed in the New York Times and asked WhatsApp to make changes including limiting the number of times a person could forward a message on the platform and limiting the size of chat groups to cut down on the spread of disinformation.
However, the first line of defense against the spread of disinformation is you, the news consumer. By developing good media habits, you will reduce your risk of falling for and spreading fake news.
Studies show that the simple repetition of an untrue statement can increase people’s belief in that lie, something known as the “illusion of truth” effect. However, that does not mean that you need to automatically believe something just because you have heard it multiple times. As neuroscientist Tom Stafford wrote for the BBC:
“If repetition was the only thing that influenced what we believed we’d be in trouble, but it isn’t. We can all bring to bear more extensive powers of reasoning, but we need to recognise they are a limited resource. Our minds are prey to the illusion of truth effect because our instinct is to use short-cuts in judging how plausible something is. Often this works. Sometimes it is misleading.”
By knowing that we are all susceptible to believing things we hear repeatedly, we can guard against this tendency. Here are some good practices to put in place.
Seek out and follow trusted news sources. Many people now get their news primarily from social media. Instead of simply waiting to see what other Twitter or Snap users post, follow verified news outlets and reporters that you trust.
Read beyond the headline. Many people share articles without fully reading them. As you are reading, look for the telltale signs that the story may be fake.
Beware of confirmation bias. This is a tendency to place more value or trust in information that confirms our beliefs and reject information that contradicts those beliefs. We all come to new information with prior experiences and knowledge. However, we need to be careful that this does not interfere with our ability to accurately evaluate new information.Confirmation bias often plays upon our deeply held beliefs, so look out for stories that evoke a deep and immediate emotional response. For example, if you are infuriated by a Facebook post about the latest antics of a politician you dislike, stop for a moment to consider if the post was meant to inflame rather than inform.
Do not share fake stories. Because of the “illusion of truth” effect, you should not share fake stories, even to point out that they are fake. If you see a fake story going around, point out the inconsistencies to others. If you want to share something, try to find an accurate story on the same topic. You can also report fake stories shared on Facebook to fact-checking sites that have partnered with the social media organization on an initiative to decrease the spread of false stories.
Think you’re ready to tackle fake news? Try this game developed by American University to test your knowledge.