By Muktar Balogun

Fake news is a deliberate effort to mislead people. Fake news has also been described as an element of propaganda. It is capable of setting a nation on fire. Hence, it is quite important everyone is aware of the presence of fake news in our digital world today.

There are several reasons one must pay detailed attention to the information one consumes. Here are ways to spot fake news:

1. Reputation of the publisher

The reputation of the publisher is paramount. An unverified news publisher should be doubted, no matter how legit the news may look. If the publisher has been caught in the web of peddling fake news, then they cannot be trusted.

2. Unsecured website

Professional news platforms that understand the nuances of their job will, no matter what, secure their website. An SSL certificate authenticates a website’s identity. A news report from an unsecured website must be doubted.

3. Understand the political affiliations of the publisher

Ask yourself if the publisher is politically inclined. People who have political affiliations own broadcast stations and dictate what goes in and out. So, such stations can easily ditch out fake news. This, however, is not to say such platforms are not serving the public. The fact remains that they dictate what goes in and out of their platforms. Anything that may paint a particular political party bad will be avoided. This is common all over the world.

4. Research

Carrying out research is another way to spot fake news. Some sources cited in a news story may be fictional or misquoted to achieve a specific end. As a reason, researching the news is one way to achieve accuracy in the news you consume. Do your research to know if reputable news houses in your country have carried the news.

5. Identify the URL correctly

The URL is the web address of the news platform. You must ensure you have rightly entered “thenationonlineng.net” in your browser and not anything different–even by a word different from the correct URL of the news platform you consume your news.

6. Ask questions

If you find a news article fishy, you can reach out to friends who are journalists. Journalists do not find it difficult to spot fake news. So, you should consider asking questions henceforth. There is never harm in asking questions.