It ranks right up there with the Nigerian prince who wants to give you a share of the inheritance received as the result of a tragic death.

Thousands of incorrect stories are available on the web. Pick a politician or a celebrity and you will find dozens of fake news stories about them.

It’s easy to say, “Somebody ought to do something about fake news.” And to look at yourself as essentially powerless to do anything.

You’re not completely powerless; you can at least avoid being deceived by fake news.

You can educate yourself before believing the story you just read. One website that will help you is : Snopes.com. For example , about a year ago, there were fake stories saying that people were finding unexpected emoji charges on their cell phone bills. Snopes investigated and found that these stories were based largely on outdated or partially correct information, as reported here: Emoti-Con.

Facebook is joining in the fight against fake news. They are attempting to open people’s eyes so they recognize fake news when they see it and act responsibly rather than casually spreading it to their friends.

In an article on The Telegraph‘s website, James Titcomb reports on Facebook’s plans:

“While Facebook has experimented with a system of warnings that alerts users to questionable stories, as well as seeking to cut off advertising to sites that trade in fake news, Facebook’s Adam Mosseri said it wanted to ‘help people make informed decisions’.

“‘False news is harmful to our community, it makes the world less informed, and it erodes trust,’ Mosseri said. ‘All of us – tech companies, media companies, newsrooms, teachers – have a responsibility to do our part in addressing it.'”

Facebook has created a list of 10 Tips for Spotting Fake News.

You can read these tips in Titcomb’s article here: Facebook to educate users about fake news

The Telegraph

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