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Fake news stories are fabricated, with little verifiable facts, sources, or evidence.

There are different kinds of fake news stories out there. Some stories are created as satire, and others are intentionally misleading.

Today, we are focusing on the fake news stories that are false but are presented as factual.

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The proliferation of fake news has become an important issue. Major media outlets and news stations are driven primarily by profit and influence, leading to sensational stories.

These sensational stories typically generate a strong emotional response from viewers, who share it with their own friends. Online sharing generates profit for the websites associated with the story.

Watch the video below to learn a little bit more about the spread of fake news.

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Fake News Generator: Who starts viral misinformation?  - BBC News

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Everyone can fall victim to fake news stories if they do not think critically about where the information is coming from.

People are more likely to fall for fake news if they are overconfident concerning their research skills and Internet searching. By developing media literacy skills, we can begin to think critically about the information presented to us.

Click on the link below to play a quick game to test your own skills at identifying fake news.

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The first step to spotting a fake news story is considering its source. You should ask yourself if  this website or publisher has a reputation for spreading questionable stories.

Consider the author of the piece. You should research their previous work and qualifications. You can usually find information about the author and organization on the About Us page of a website.

For example, lets look at the About page on the website Infowars. Is there anything on this page that suggests this organization and author is credible and trustworthy?

What else can we do? We could look elsewhere for information on the author and media outlet. Click on the link below to view the Politifact profile for Alex Jones. Do you think he is trustworthy?

Credible fact checking websites such as Politifact can help you identify journalists, commentators, and personalities.

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Fact-checking journalism is the heart of PolitiFact. Our core principles are independence, transparency, fairness, thorough reporting and clear writing. The reason we publish is to give citizens the information they need to govern themselves in a democracy.

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Fact-checking journalism is the heart of PolitiFact. Our core principles are independence, transparency, fairness, thorough reporting and clear writing. The reason we publish is to give citizens the information they need to govern themselves in a democracy.

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In addition to considering the authority of a source, you should also consider the reliability of the information found.

Reliability simply means that the information is true. You can determine the reliability of information by cross-referencing it. This is the process of going to other news sites and books to confirm that the information is true.

You can also conduct a source check. Articles should always list their sources. Sources should be knowledgeable on the topic.

Lets look at the article below, which discusses lifting Covid-19 restrictions in the UK.

Can you find sources within this article?

Click here when you are finished to read an additional article. Does this support it's reliability?

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LONDON-U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said England was on track to lift almost all Covid-19 restrictions as planned on July 19, even as the highly transmissible Delta variant of coronavirus drives a new surge in infections.

The move puts the U.K. in the vanguard of countries betting that vaccines will provide a durable route back to normalcy, despite the circulation of dangerous new variants. Mr. Johnson said the U.K.'s experience of Delta shows the shots have weakened, though not eliminated, the link between rising caseloads, swelling hospital numbers and spiraling deaths that characterized earlier stages of the pandemic.

He pitched the lifting of restrictions this month, already delayed once, as an end to government intervention and a revival of personal responsibility. Laws on social distancing, mask-wearing and other common features of the Covid-19 era are expected to be scrapped, he said, with the onus instead on individuals to make their own decisions about the appropriate steps to take to stay safe and protect others.

"This pandemic is far from over," Mr. Johnson said at a news conference Monday, adding that the U.K. must reconcile itself to more Covid-19 deaths. But vaccines have changed the balance of risks between the burden of disease and the cost to the economy and society of continuing restrictions, he said.

"We must be honest with ourselves that if we can't reopen our society in the next few weeks, when we will be helped by the arrival of summer and by the school holidays, then we must ask ourselves when will we be able to return to normal?"

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As Delta Variant Surges in U.K., Boris Johnson Says England Will Lift Most Covid-19 Curbs

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LONDON-U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said England was on track to lift almost all Covid-19 restrictions as planned on July 19, even as the highly transmissible Delta variant of coronavirus drives a new surge in infections. The move puts the U.K.

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When examining a source you should also consider the purpose of the piece. Is the article meant to inform you? Persuade you?

Sometimes fake news is a type of propaganda. Propaganda is used to promote a particular political cause or point of view.

Click on the link below to read more about propaganda.

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LibGuides: Fake News: Separating Truth From Fiction: 9. Weaponized Information & Propaganda

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LibGuides: Fake News: Separating Truth From Fiction: 9. Weaponized Information & Propaganda

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Another topic to consider when evaluating a news source is currency. The timeliness of information matters. You should consider the date that your information was published, as information can become outdated or change. You should be able to tell when an article is published. It is most oftentimes underneath the headline.

Consider this article below about the pandemic. Would this be a good source to use for a paper about the current state of the pandemic?

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Tens of thousands of people streamed out of Wuhan by car, train and plane after a 76-day lockdown was lifted Wednesday from the Chinese city where the global coronavirus pandemic began.

The end of the lockdown is a milestone in China's efforts to contain the outbreak of a new coronavirus that sickened more than 80,000 across the country and overwhelmed health systems. Yet another milestone came this week, as the country reported on Tuesday there were no new infection cases for the first time since the outbreak began in late December.

But residents caution Wuhan now must also begin dealing with the deeper, longer-lasting emotional and economic traumas of the outbreak.

The exodus is also prompting fears of a second wave of infections, amid rising suspicions of undercounting of coronavirus-related deaths and concerns over the prevalence of those carrying the virus but showing no symptoms.

A Wuhan doctor specializing in pulmonary and critical care estimated based on recent survey data there may be between 10,000 and 20,000 asymptomatic carriers in the city. But experts from the central Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, most notably Dr. Zhong Nanshan, who has emerged as the figurehead of China's effort to tackle the pandemic, say they do not anticipate asymptomatic carriers will cause a second wave of infections.
End of a long quarantine
Wuhan, a city of 11 million, had been sealed off from the rest of China since Jan. 23 in a drastic attempt to halt the spread of COVID-19. After more than two months of quarantine, joyful but weary travelers flocked to the city's reopened train stations and airport, many to return to jobs put on pause during the outbreak - others to reunite with family.

"I have been preparing for this day for many days," said Victoria Li, while boarding one of the first trains to leave Wuhan's Hankou Station Wednesday morning, destined for the nearby city of Jingzhou. She said she was jubilant to leave Wuhan because she had been separated from her young child during the outbreak.

For others, their moment of departure was bittersweet. Bai Xue, a tourist from the northeastern city of Shenyang, found herself stuck in Wuhan while on vacation. She arrived at the airport at the stroke of midnight Wednesday - well before her mid-afternoon flight.

"To be honest, for the last few days, I have been crying a lot," said Bai, choking up as she recounted her two months in Wuhan. "I cannot tell if they were tears of joy. Finally, I get to go home. It is as if I am escaping purgatory."

During the lockdown, Bai found it challenging to get groceries as she was largely confined indoors and unable to understand the local dialect. But she said she is grateful that neighborhood committee workers helped her deliver face masks and a care package of sweet porridge from home. "Wuhan has seen so much suffering, and we have made it through," she told NPR.

Transportation authorities said 55,000 people had purchased train tickets to leave Thursday and tens of thousands more were expected to leave by car and plane. Only about half the normal, pre-outbreak number of flights were operating on Wednesday. Only three-quarters of seats on planes would be filled, airport authorities said, and train passengers would be seated one seat apart from each other.

Wuhan has seen so much suffering, and we have made it through.

Wuhan is still under certain quarantine measures, however. Residential compounds now require everyone to use a government app that tracks any contact with sick patients or travel to a high-risk area before leaving and entering their compounds. Many compounds only allow residents to leave for two hours at a time, unless they are going to work.

The city's economy is also only slowly beginning to come online.

Automakers, which form the largest industry in Hubei, the province where Wuhan is located, reopened their production lines the soonest, some as early as March 11. But businesses that fall under Hubei's"restricted list," which are all entertainment venues, such as movie theaters and gyms, and dine-in restaurants, are ordered to stay shut until the outbreak is officially declared over.
A second wave of infections?
Questions about the accuracy of China's official COVID-19 statistics and rising concern over asymptomatic cases have prompted fears of a second wave of infections as travelers leave Wuhan.

"Just because we have zero new daily cases does not mean we have zero risk," said Yu Yeru, a manager at the Hankou train station in Wuhan on Wednesday.

Amid growing public pressure, China's national health commission began disclosing daily new confirmed asymptomatic cases on April 1 but has not released a total number of such cases since the start of the outbreak.

A pre-print study jointly published by Chinese and American researchers that is awaiting peer review concluded that at least 59%, or more than 15,000, ofthe 25,000 confirmed Wuhan cases analyzed are "unascertained." That could include asymptomatic carriers and mild-symptom patients who recovered without extensive medical attention.

NPR reported last month that some Wuhan patients, including two who were asymptomatic and previously declared recovered, later tested positive again for the virus, suggesting faulty diagnostic tests may also be missing cases.

While all travelers leaving Wuhan on Wednesday had to demonstrate no previous travel through high-risk areas and no recent contact with sick patients, very few are currently required to take a diagnostic test for the coronavirus.

Afraid that Beijing may see a rise in cases as those stuck in Wuhan rush to return to the capital, the city released a strict daily quota for the number of passengers allowed to enter by car and by train on Wednesday. The estimated 11,000 people who have applied online to travel to Beijing have to wait their turn as only 1,000 are permitted to enter each day.

But for the fortunate ones who managed to depart at the crack of dawn, the excitement to move on was palpable.

"To be honest, I am a little excited. The people of Wuhan suffered so much, so many people died, and we had to stay inside for so long. If you are isolated for so long, you really go crazy," said Li Hao, a Wuhan native taking an early afternoon flight to the city of Chengdu, where he works.

For some, the one silver lining to the emotional trauma of the last two months was spending so much time with family, albeit indoors. "I feel very differently about my family members," Li said. "I was able to accompany them for such a long period of time. That has been the one comfort."

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As China's Wuhan Ends Its Long Quarantine, Residents Feel A Mix Of Joy And Fear

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Tens of thousands of people streamed out of Wuhan by car, train and plane after a 76-day lockdown was lifted Wednesday from the Chinese city where the global coronavirus pandemic began.

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Lastly, you want to consider bias as being a relevant factor when evaluating a news source. Bias is a strong inclination or an opinion about something or someone.

Bias can twist stories in a way that pulls you into a direction of thinking that may not be a firm judgement on your part. Stories may present factual information but present it in a way that favors one point-of-view over another.

The image below compiles news outlets and ranks them based upon their political bias/leanings. Consider where your source falls on this chart before using it.

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Cornell University Fake News LibGuide

Real or Fake Infographic

Pew Research Center: Misinformation

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Below is an example filmed by me which highlights the process of reviewing a news source. Click here to read the article.