Reports of fake news seem to be increasing every day. In her recent Practice Innovations article, UW Law Library Reference & Instructional Services Librarian Jenny Zook offers some helpful tips on spotting fake news. The list is based on the cleverly named CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose) developed by a librarian in 2004.
You apply the test by searching for clues to the authenticity of a news item by asking yourself a series of questions:
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Who wrote the article? What is the byline ? Does it have an author, and if it is a scholarly article, is the author an expert in that field of study?
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Check the date. When was the article written? Is it dated anywhere in the article? Fake news is often undated or lacks currency.
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Is the URL from a trustworthy source or does the URL only mimic a trusted site? For a compiled list of untrustworthy sites, check the listing from Dr. Melissa Zimdars in Tips for analyzing news sites.
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Is the site clickbait? Do ads pop up the moment you click on the link?
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Boom! Does the news elicit an emotional reaction, like anger? Is the language inflammatory or one-sided?
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Look for confirming bias. Fake news spreads quickly because we seek out information that reinforces what we believe.
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Is the article written well or is it filled with grammatical errors and typos? Is it written in all caps? Fake news creators may be clever, but they aren’t known for their smooth writing skills or style.
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What, if anything, does the article link to? Does it cite reliable sources of information? Is the data verifiable? Who are the experts cited?
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If the article includes images or videos, can you trace them to another source? Fake news will often include mislabeled or altered photos or videos.