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- Who to believe?
There are multiple news sources available in a variety of formats but are they all reliable?
Learn about fact-checking and how to investigate claims or news media reports.
Is it real or is it fake news?
You may have heard about an article published in the Lancet in 1998 which reported that vaccinations could cause autism. This research has since been retracted but is an interesting example of scientific research being presented as 'facts' which may actually be incorrect.
Read here about the impact of the vaccination report and other pieces of research about vaccination which have been questioned and refuted.
Fact checking aims to determine the factual accuracy of news media reports, and other pieces of communication such as political speeches. Fact checking will use authentic information sources to verify or refute the claims made.
There’s now a vast network of factcheck units around the world, operating in myriad different languages. However, none have a process quite like ours at The Conversation.
Sunanda Creagh, Editor, The Conversation and Wes Mountain, Deputy Multimedia Editor, The Conversation
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
NOTE The Conversation no longer has a distinct editorial product called 'FactCheck', however the rigorous methods outlined in the video and article (above) are incorporated into the standard process for many of the articles published by The Conversation.
This video gives you some handy tips for spotting fake news.
Read more about Fact Check a collaboration between RMIT and the ABC.
Here are a few useful resources which will help you determine the veracity of claims:
Empower yourself to recognise 'fake news' by taking a look at 5 useful techniques for spotting misinformation online in this recent article from The Conversation:
Pearson, M (2020, January 18). There’s no such thing as ‘alternative facts’. 5 ways to spot misinformation and stop sharing it online. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/theres-no-such-thing-as-alternative-facts-5-ways-to-spot-misinformation-and-stop-sharing-it-online-152894
Empower yourself to spot if someone is trying to misrepresent science or sow seeds of doubt in scientific inquiry by taking a look at these 5 useful techniques from The Conversation:
Vally, H (2021, March 9). 5 ways to spot if someone is trying to mislead you when it comes to science. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/5-ways-to-spot-if-someone-is-trying-to-mislead-you-when-it-comes-to-science-138814
What is a hoax? According to Wikipedia, ‘a hoax is a falsehood deliberately fabricated to masquerade as the truth’. According to the Cambridge Dictionary it is a 'a plan to deceive someone, such as telling the police there is a bomb somewhere when there is not one, or a trick'.
You can 'fact-check' online hoaxes through Hoaxslayer. Hoax-Slayer debunks email and social media hoaxes, thwarts Internet scammers, combats spam, and educates web users about email, social media, and Internet security issues.