FAKE NEWS - The Truth Is Hard To Find

Fake news seems to be a big problem these days. With so many different news sources available to us now, it's hard to know which is real and which is fake. This leads to a large number of stories bending the truth, misleading its readers or even straight up lying to get readers. So where has fake news come from?

To a certain extent, fake news has always existed. Tabloids are renowned for bending the truth, or giving bias opinions on stories. Some even use it as a humorous touch to sell their paper. The Daily/Sunday Sport is a perfect example of this, bringing us scorching headlines like, 'Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster' and 'Statue Of Elvis Found On Mars'. Headlines not to be taken too seriously I would say!

Nowadays, however, there are a lot more fake news stories that toy with the truth in a more misleading way. Social media has had a massive impact on this, leading to readers struggling to know what they can trust, and what they can dismiss as being rubbish. Sites like Facebook and Twitter are home to thousands of news pages reporting on issues from all around the globe, locally and internationally. Sites like Ladbible and Joe (among others) have made their name online, bringing you live updates throughout the day. And whilst most of the news reported online is fact based, there is a lot that comes from the rumour mill. Football fans will know this when reading about their clubs 'Next Big Signing' (trust me I'm an Arsenal fan....).

So how are they managing to publish this? Surely there are laws against reporting fake news. After all propaganda was one of the biggest problems during World War 2, with false information being spread to encourage people to buy into the idea of political agendas. However, while there are laws against publishing fake news, it seems to be that they are only held to account if a complaint is made. So, for example, if a newspaper prints something false or damaging about you, you have a legal case to sue them for libel. Otherwise, they seem to get away with.

So how can we identify fake news? Well there are a few tell tale signs to look out for. Firstly, look for signs of photoshopping in the imaging of the article. Does it look tampered with? Do you trust the source? Secondly, think about the author of the article and see if they have a reliable history. Lastly, if your still not sure, do some of your own research. Look for similar stories from other sites. Find out if the story is being covered by more than one source and if it's being covered by a well known or reliable source.

With so many sources available to us, it's important we take the time to consider and realise the facts from the fiction. So if you're unsure about whether or not a story is true or not, stop and think. Chances are, it may not be what you think it is.