Fake It Till You Make It?
It’s 2017 and accessing news has never been so easily placed in our hands. Recently, there has been some skepticism on the difference between real and fake news. Some examples of fake news were the "pizzagate" incident, the pope endorsing Donald Trump during the presidential race, and many more articles. Google and Facebook have done efforts to ban misleading content and fake news sites but, it is still not enough.
Here are five practices you can contribute to help circulate fake news articles to a minimum:
Have An Open Mind
Do not seclude yourself to one news outlet. Analyze the situation and look at other news sources to determine whether they both add up. Sure, biases will be involved depending on politics and beliefs but, the facts should be noticeable.
Attribute
It is a cardinal sin in the Journalism realm to copy and paste what is not yours. Always attribute the information, photographs, and video content to its rightful owner.
Take Action
When you find an error in an article, act accordingly and address this to the source to unwind the truth. Correct the error as soon as possible and inform the public that the post has the updated information.
Fact Check
If you are not sure whether the information is accurate, you should conduct research with the right tools. FactCheck.org and Politifact.com are good places to start if you have any doubts.
Be Transparent
It is so easy to be straightforward when there is good news to be spread but, bad news, not so much. Whatever the case may be, always be honest when informing the public. This helps build a bond with your viewers and will make you a reliable source.
In other words, these are good practices that you should incorporate in your daily job routine. Overtime, it shows that you are a credible source, trust worthy and an honest figure through the eyes of the reporters and your public. These traits revolve around the theme of being an effective communicator.
Citations
no title. (n.d.) Retrieved on January 18, 2017 from http://nymag.com/selectall/2016/11/the-trouble-with-facebooks-fake-news-data.html
Crenshaw, D. (2016, December 6). How Public Relations Can Fight Fake News. Retrieved January 18, 2017 from http://crenshawcomm.com/public-relations-can-fight-fake-news/
Johnson, D. H. (2016, December 9). Everyone Wants to Stop "Fake News" but No One Seems to Know What Exactly It is. Retrieved on January 18, 2016 from https://www.thenation.com/article/everyone-wants-to-stop-fake-news-but-no-one-seems-to-know-what-exactly-it-is/
