Don't just click

Don’t Just Click; Viral News 101

Don’t Just Click; Viral News 101

Simone and I want you to take a moment and think about what we all consider to be viral news. While it is true that what we view, watch, share on your social media platforms contributes to this. Many of you already know that your feelings guide what you choose to take in on social media. This is why basketball fans living in Toronto for the most part are Raptor Fans. Which is why they will be more attune to news about the Raptors. Detroit residents support their Detroit teams, Trinidadian Cricket fans will share news of match success, all it takes is a click or two.

The ease of the click can keep people from stopping to judge the quality of the story or its truth. This is a big part of the problem. Today on Hear 2 Help You, we do the final installment of our Media Literacy Series called Don’t Just Click; Viral News 101 on Hear 2 Help You. 

[wonderplugin_video iframe=”https://youtu.be/AsSzF4cSJu0″ lightbox=0 lightboxsize=1 lightboxwidth=960 lightboxheight=540 autoopen=0 autoopendelay=0 autoclose=0 lightboxtitle=”” lightboxgroup=”” lightboxshownavigation=0 showimage=”” lightboxoptions=”” videowidth=600 videoheight=400 keepaspectratio=1 autoplay=0 loop=0 videocss=”position:relative;display:block;background-color:#000;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%;margin:0 auto;” playbutton=”https://hear-2-help.com/wp-content/plugins/wonderplugin-video-embed/engine/playvideo-64-64-0.png”]

 

The term viral news refers to stories that spread very quickly and widely over the Internet. Many times, a picture or headline that misleads about the actual story is all it takes for a story to be shared, regardless of whether the user reads the article. We all know that fake news isn’t new, but its rapid growth on social media and across the Internet means it can move faster and mislead more people then ever before.

So why lie about news?

It’s profitable and it’s a way to advance a cause.

Many website owners get paid on a per-click basis, so the more clicks they get, the more money comes in. So let’s be honest. If this is truly the case then why would some website owners and writers care more about that then telling the truth? The more shocking their stories are, the more clicks they’ll get.

Fake or Fact

A study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that fake stories spread on Twitter six times faster than true ones, and lies are 70 percent more likely to be shared than true stories. It’s a no wonder why there is so much unwarranted noise on the internet.

Bots

One method that helps to spread fake stories is the usage of bots. If you haven’t heard of a bot or simply don’t know what one is. Bots are basically automated systems that can follow users, create posts, and share others’ posts. These bots can be taught to share useful information. However, they can also be taught to seek and share lies.

How do you spot the bot?

When checking account information, here are the WARNING SIGNS!

  • Does the information sound like a real person wrote it?
  • Is there a profile picture on the account?
  • Does the account post every few minutes over a whole day?
  • Does it seem to share a lot of controversial news?

If you are spotting fake news, look out for websites with a noted slant. Some sites tend to print stories that may use little or no facts to back up their accusations. Balanced stories cite good information sources, such as real experts on a subject, and they provide real names and contact information. Remember, if you find yourself getting upset about something you read, you should probably take a step back and think. As fake news tends to create outrage that will make the reader want to share it, without actually reading the story.

Here are some places to verify your news:

We would like you to remember that even those are not completely reliable. Always be mindful of news sources that have increased drama to encourage more consumers to stay tuned, listening, or reading. Some networks will actually have people screaming at each other to draw attention.

Here are some other factors to consider:

  • When in Doubt, Just don’t send it out.
  • Read or watch the story before you share it.
  • Simplify your news sources.
  • Good Rule” If you aren’t sure whether you should share it, don’t.

Thank you all for tuning in this week. We hope this week’s show will help everyone to not fall for the clickbait that’s out there passing as viral news.

Please feel free to leave your comments below.

Also, don’t forget that you could check out our previous blogs here.

See y’all next week.