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The internet is filled with think pieces and fake news about Corona. Fake news spreads faster and more easily due to the connectivity that we have because of the internet, social media and instant messaging.
People are more likely to skim through the content rather than reading the entire article because it "saves time". This might cause a sort of infodemic.
The followings are some factors that you should look into before you trust a news article :
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Source
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Always question the source. Is the source trustworthy? If the sources are some "Taiwanese experts", "Japanese doctors" or "Stanford University" and there is no data to back up the claims in their official websites, chances are the news story is fake.
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Logo
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Is there any organization logo that is used in the message?
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Bad English
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Credible journalists and organisations are less likely to make repeated spelling and grammar mistakes. Also, anything written entirely in capital letters or containing a lot of exclamation marks should raise your suspicions.
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Over encouragement to share
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Be wary if the message presses you to share – this is how viral messaging works.
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Fake social media accounts
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Some fake accounts mimic the real thing. Only trust accounts that are verified (have a blue tick).
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Here are some things you can do to avoid fake news:
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Use fact checking websites
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Websites such as APFactCheck and Full Fact highlight common fake news stories. You can also use a search engine to look up the title of the article to see if it has been identified as fake news by the mainstream media.
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Only trust the real sources
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Right now, the best source for any information about COVID 19 is World Health Oganization's Website. Primary source is always better than news articles.
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We can all help in this time of crisis by avoiding fake news and helping our family and friends decide what to trust.
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Please don't hesitate to reach out to us in case of any queries:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sagar | 9860975864
Sneh | 9823666789
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