In order to deal with fake news, one first needs to understand who the fake news perpetrators are. This will allow you to know how to deal with the organisation or individual and what kind of merits should be taken against them, such as knowing where to report them.
In saying that, it’s also important to know whether someone is telling the truth. As renowned writer and journalist Lerato Tshabala shared in a previous media update article, “
authentic journalism does exist, but the big task is finding it!”
And with the increase of privately-owned media outlets, individuals are often trying to set their own agenda through their news outlets, making it challenging to differentiate good, ethical journalism from rumour.
However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. All you have to do is follow our guide!
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to deal with fake news:
1. Do a spot check on social media pages
Fake news is everywhere, especially when scrolling through social media, with some pages looking so legit that one would be surprised to find that it’s
not real.
When in doubt, there are a number of things you can do to ensure the legitimacy of a webpage:
- You can check if the website URL is authentic by copying and pasting it in the search bar and see what pops up.
- Check the social media page content history to see how the agency communicates with audiences. If it doesn’t engage professionally, you should be suspicious.
- Skim through the contact information; a fake page will most likely not match with the authentic website’s information.
- Consider whether the headline is too vivid. If so, it could be a click bait to divert you to a dark place filled with misinformation.
- Identify whether there are too many adjectives. If there are, it's a reason to pause. Legitimate news outlets don’t abuse adjectives to describe content — they have facts to do that!
Lastly, check to verify if the author is legit or even exists. Usually with fake news, there’s no author name or it’s a false one just like the news.
So, how do you verify this? Well, you can do this by searching for them online, which should showcase their previous articles, broadcast clips and other news material they’ve worked on in the results. Or, simply just contact the news outlet and ask about the author.
2. Go ‘back to basics’ with authentic journalism
One of the best ways of dealing with fake news is by pushing the reset button and going back to the fundamentals of journalism. Media corporations, we’re talking to you!
Going back to our previous Q&A (take a look at our first point), Tshabala touches on one fact that’s difficult to ignore: Media corporations play a big role in the spreading of fake news. But why and how? Well, when it comes down to it, it's a conflict between advertising and company budget — wrapped around by a python called
agenda and
desire.
Take, for example, how former United States President Donald Trump
used his executive function to influence Fox News’ narrative to serve his own interests. Meanwhile, in South Africa, it’s all about which businessperson or politician has more khaki envelopes to bribe journalists so they can distort facts.
This was one of the things heard at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry where the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF)
requested the names of journalists who had allegedly been accepting bribes from crime intelligence to cook up stories. Now comes the real question: How do we stop this from happening?? To start off with, perhaps media outlets could engage more with journalists. Additionally, there could be a recreation of policies surrounding media ethics. Or, professionals could re-define the field of journalism through further training. Essentially, experienced journalists can also educate young reporters on the do’s and don'ts of the industry. Lastly, media house owners should distance themselves from editorial content to avoid influencing what can and cannot be published.
3. Report guilty parties to prevent the spread of misinformation
Fake news paddlers have clearly seen an opportunity during the Covid-19 pandemic to share misinformation with the public. This has led to many individuals being
confused about the recent roll out of the vaccine. The result? Muds of conspiracy theories claiming that the coronavirus is a tool used to cover up for plans to
implant trackable microchips by Microsoft owner Bill Gates and other prominent business moguls. Needless to say, there is no doubt that the spread of fake news is a pandemic on its own. Thankfully, there are agencies and organisations out there that are trying to put a stop to it. Media houses and pressure groups like
Right2Know and
SANEF have put some measures in place to make it easy for the public to report the distribution of fake information. This allows citizens to act as mediators to reduce the strain on the government’s shoulders.
Social media is a head of this Hydra — as soon as you cut one off, another replaces it. But social media users can also report the post or profile on that particular platform. And, in cases where a news outlet is the one spreading fake news, you can report them to the
Press Ombudsman or the
Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa. The South African government introduced new requirements amid the spread of fake news surrounding Covid-19. So, if you’re not really sure about the information you come across, just visit
South Africa’s government page to learn more about fake news — before you find yourself on the wrong side of the law.
Do you think there are sufficient regulations being put in place to ensure that fake news paddlers are punished? Let us know in the comments section below.
We see you’ve enjoyed our content right until the end. To get more insightful stories, sign up to our newsletter.