Link for article: CBS 60 Minutes
CBS 60 Minutes did an interesting segment on fake news this past weekend. Did you get a chance to see it? If not, I highly recommend it.
Every fake news story discussed on this show was presented to me by one of my readers asking me if the story was true or not. I was astounded I had seen them all through you, my readers. And I did not discuss them publicly because I did not find them credible.
I think there are some basic rules I would suggest to avoid fake news. Don’t ever consider Facebook or any other social media platform as a source of news unless you are getting it from a trusted source such as BBC or Reuter’s page on FB (if they even have one). Facebook is not in the business of disseminating news. They are social platform and sell many things in the form of advertising. I disregard all side column articles as paid ads and ignore them, and always have.
When I want news, I go to the main stream media websites directly. They are not fake news sites despite what Trump has told you. I also read multiple sources to verify stories and facts. When you see a headline like “Hillary has Parkinson’s Disease” if you don’t see the news on any other website that is reputable in the news industry, you know it’s likely questionable. The odds are not that you got the story first on some obscure website. Do know that.
I am very picky about sources and I highly recommend you are, too. Plus, when you click on these fake news sites, I think you run a much higher risk to get a virus as well. You really don’t know where you are going when you click on some strange website you’ve never heard of. It could Bulgaria or Romania or China trying to influence you. So think twice before clicking on some tantalizing link.