You could say fake news or edited images as easy to spot: they’re often exaggerated, bizarre and totally unrealistic.
Melania Trump having a body double? Lizard people disguised as real humans and are planning for world domination?
Source: Giphy.com
But the problem with fake news is that it isn’t always easy to spot. Not all of us are experts on everything, and we’re often reliant on the Internet for more information. Take for example the Dutch referendum about a trade agreement between the Netherlands and Ukraine.
In 2016, Dutch politician, Harry van Bommel, had a ‘Ukrainian Team’ that advocated against a trade pact with Ukraine. It made sense: if a bunch of Ukrainians were against the trade pact, then not all Ukrainians were in favour.
The ‘Ukrainian Team’ were Russian sympathisers.
According to Jakub Janda, head of Kremlin watch, this is what makes it hard to spot fake news. When people are not well informed it’s difficult to know what you think, and not all of us are media literate enough to cross check information.
This is why equipping people with the media literacy skills and tools is important. Check out our following resources on fake news:
- Infographic on Fake News and tips on how to identify them
- Tips on how to spot fake images
- Test out your skills and identify fake news
-Maria Adriano
FlakeOnFake 