Lessons·life-skills·teens · intermediate
Fake News: How to Spot It
Learn to identify misinformation, understand how fake stories spread on social media, and develop critical thinking skills to evaluate what you read online.
About 25 minutes
A headline says 'Scientists Prove Chocolate Is Healthier Than Fruit.' Would you share it?
Before you start
Watch How False News Can Spread by TED-Ed (4 min) — Pay attention to the section on 'confirmation bias'. Think about whether you've ever shared something online without checking if it was true.
- Have you ever believed something online that turned out to be false?
- How do you currently decide whether a news story is trustworthy?
- Why do you think fake stories often get more shares than real ones?
Fake News Isn't New
In 1835, the New York Sun newspaper published a series of articles claiming astronomers had discovered life on the Moon — bat-winged humanoids, blue unicorns, and temples made of sapphire. Thousands of people believed it. The paper's sales skyrocketed. It was completely made up.
Fake news has existed for centuries, but social media has turbocharged it. A 2018 MIT study found that false stories on Twitter spread six times faster than true ones. Why? Because fake news is designed to trigger strong emotions — shock, outrage, fear, or excitement. And emotional content gets shared.
The business model is simple: fake news websites earn money from advertising. More clicks = more money. A teenager in North Macedonia made thousands of dollars during the 2016 US election by creating fake political stories that went viral. He didn't care about politics — he cared about clicks.
Today, AI can generate fake images, fake videos (deepfakes), and fake articles that look completely real. The question isn't whether you'll encounter fake news — it's whether you'll recognise it when you do.
The SIFT Method
When you see a claim online, use SIFT:
**S — Stop.** Don't react immediately. Don't share, like, or comment until you've checked.
**I — Investigate the source.** Who published this? Is it a known news outlet (BBC, Reuters) or a random website? Check the 'About' page. Look for spelling mistakes and dodgy URLs (like 'bbc-news-today.com' which is NOT the BBC).
**F — Find better coverage.** Search for the same story on other trusted websites. If only one obscure website is reporting it, be suspicious. If the BBC, Guardian, and Reuters are all covering it, it's more likely true.
**T — Trace the claim.** Where did the original information come from? Can you find the actual study, the actual quote, the actual data? Headlines often distort what the research actually said.
Also watch for these red flags:
- Headlines in ALL CAPS or with lots of exclamation marks!!!
- No author name or date
- 'A study shows...' without saying WHICH study
- The story makes you feel extremely angry or shocked (that's the point)
What You Now Know
- Misinformation
- False information shared by people who don't know it's wrong.Your gran shares a health tip on WhatsApp that sounds true but isn't backed by science.
- Disinformation
- False information deliberately created to deceive people.A fake news website publishes a made-up story to get advertising revenue from clicks.
- Confirmation Bias
- The tendency to believe information that matches what you already think, and ignore information that doesn't.If you think a certain football team is the best, you'll notice and share posts that agree — and dismiss ones that don't.
- Echo Chamber
- When social media algorithms only show you content you already agree with, creating a bubble.Your TikTok feed only shows one side of a debate because the algorithm knows you'll engage with it.
- Clickbait
- Headlines designed to make you click, often exaggerating or misleading.'You Won't BELIEVE What This Teacher Did!' — designed to trigger curiosity, not inform.
Let's Discuss
- Have you ever shared something on social media that turned out to be wrong? What happened?
- Should social media companies remove fake news? Or is that censorship?
- A friend shares a shocking health claim. You check and it's fake. How do you tell them without causing an argument?
- Some people argue that 'everyone has the right to their opinion' means all views are equally valid. Do you agree?
- Devil's advocate: could fake news ever be harmless? Is there a difference between a silly rumour and dangerous misinformation?
Media Literacy Vocabulary
| English | Türkçe |
|---|---|
| dodgyThat website looks a bit dodgy — I wouldn't trust it. | şüpheli / güvenilmezŞu web sitesi biraz şüpheli duruyor — ben olsam güvenmezdim. |
| suss outIt took me a while to suss out that the story was fake. | çözmek / anlamakHaberin sahte olduğunu çözmem biraz zaman aldı. |
| gullibleDon't be gullible — just because it's on the internet doesn't mean it's true. | saf / kolay kananSaf olma — sırf internette var diye doğru olduğu anlamına gelmez. |
| tabloidTabloids like The Sun focus on dramatic headlines; broadsheets like The Guardian focus on detailed reporting. | magazin gazetesiThe Sun gibi tabloid gazeteler sansasyonel başlıklara odaklanırken, The Guardian gibi ciddi gazeteler detaylı haberciliğe odaklanır. |
| sourceAlways check your sources before sharing information. | kaynakBir bilgiyi paylaşmadan önce her zaman kaynaklarını kontrol et. |
Writing task
Write about 150 words on this and have it marked, with corrections. Free account needed.
Discuss this in English
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