It is a rare day that passes that the term “fake news” is absent from both mainstream news reporting and from internet webpages, Facebook posts, and Twitter tweets.  One only needs to view Trump Twitter Archive to learn just how often this term shows up in President Donald Trump’s tweets.

So, what is “Fake News” and why should you be concerned about its rampant proliferation?  Fake news is defined by Collins English Dictionary (see https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/) as “false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting”.  Some fake news stories contain misinformation (false or inaccurate information), while others are filled with disinformation (false information deliberately created to influence public opinion).  Fake news shows up on the internet as clickbait, in blogs, and as Facebook posts.  It is easily shared and quickly spread. 

With so much fake news out there, it is increasingly more important that you carefully evaluate everything that you hear and read. Libraries and Information Service professionals can be great resources to you as you do so. We are skilled in vetting information for accuracy and validity.  When researching any topic, consider exploring your local library’s research databases. These contain academic and peer-reviewed articles and are more reliable than most internet search results.  Heard something alarming?  Ask a librarian to help you find corroborating reports to support (or discredit) the claims that you heard.

Here are a few more strategies for evaluating information:

• Check the credentials of the author.
• Look for the date the information was provided. Is it current?
• Look for bias. What is the author’s purpose?
• Search another trustworthy source for supportive information.

For even more tips on combating fake news, see https://www.dcls.org/newspapers.  Here you will find links to fact checking websites like Factcheck.org and Snopes.com.  Such sites help users determine what is true and what is nonsense. 

As we get prepared for another presidential election season, I expect that we will be inundated with even more political rhetoric, half-truths, false claims, and fake news than what is typical. I encourage you to take advantage of all the practices listed above to carefully evaluate everything that you hear and read and base your vote on the best information possible.

Lastly, know that you have the power to help stop fake news. It’s simple, if you suspect that what you are reading is fake news, don’t pass it on!