(GMG) – We’re now living in an age in which every time you open your laptop, sign into Facebook or load up your email, you could be exposed to fake news.
But how do you know what’s considered fake? Or, is the article you’re reading just heavily biased -- as in, perhaps from a personal blog or an organization with an agenda? Or is it FAKE fake: meaning it’s satire or from a completely bogus website?
Recommended Videos
Phew. There’s a lot to consider.
Ultimately, it’s your responsibility to protect yourself from fake news, and remain skeptical of the things you’re reading online. You don’t want to become part of the problem and start “sharing” news that, well, isn’t. Because then it’s not just those particular websites that are dishonest and untrustworthy: it’s you who becomes untrustworthy, too.
Let’s start here: By taking action in your personal social media. Do you Like or Follow WSLS on Facebook?
Look for our name, “WSLS 10 News” in the search bar, and then add us. You’ll want your trusted local news source at the top of your News Feed.
And then mark us for priority treatment. Here’s how to do that:
- Go to our page.
- Tap or click on the "Following" tab, in the upper left area of your screen.
- Make sure your preferences say “See first” under the section called, In your News Feed.
- Make sure your preferences are switched to “On” for Notifications. This will allow you to be alerted if we post an event or hop on Facebook Live.
Here’s what it should look like:
When it comes to reading news online, we want you to hear it, or take it, from us.
“At 10 News, our goal is to present our stories in the digital realm in a clear, factual manner,” digital managing editor Jeff Williamson said. “We pay careful attention to our headlines and wording in social media posts as to not mislead people. We recognize the responsibility of being a local news source and never want to do anything to jeopardize the trust our audience has in us. When reporting on controversial stories, we base them on the facts, rather than people’s opinions, so that we can inform, but not sway our audience. Our goal is to keep you informed about what’s happening locally, statewide, across the nation and even around the world. At that same time, with a lot of fake news out there, we will continue to keep our standards high so you’ll never have to doubt the factual basis or truth of something published and posted by 10 News.”
We don’t have an agenda. We just want to share the facts, and help keep you and your family safe and informed. And we’re owned by Graham Media Group, not one of the major networks.
The people inside our newsroom share your community. We could be neighbors. We don’t have secret meetings over what to cover up and what to reveal, or how to write our news in a way that influences your beliefs. But we do hit the streets, talking to people like you, along with community leaders, police, spokespeople -- and digging into our own investigative work, of course. We share what we learn every day, in the hopes of making your lives easier.
And although initial reports can shift -- oftentimes because information from the scene can change: a fire that was originally reported to be 15 acres might have grown to 50 acres by the time our crew arrives -- that’s just the nature of the business. We stand by our work. There’s a big difference between early information or tentative reports, and “fake news.”
As a professor at Virginia Tech pointed out just last week, you have to ask yourself the following questions in determining what’s real versus what’s not.
"Look at the source of the publication -- where is (the information) coming from? Do you know other information from this source, and is it reliable? Find out who sponsors the site. Is it sponsored by some sort of a political organization or an organization that you've never heard of?" said Jenn Burleson Mackay, a communications professor at Virginia Tech.
What does the URL say? Or if you’re perusing your News Feed, consider the source before hitting that “share” button. Which of your friends put this out there? Why?
It’s important to be skeptical online. Pictures can be doctored. Personal blogs can look like real websites. Information can spread quickly in cases such as a major weather event.
But when you start by using 10 News as your go-to source, you don’t have to worry about us. We’re here to make your lives easier -- one story at a time.