The internet provides a wealth of information, but not all of it is reliable, with a lot of erroneous and deliberately false news. Consider some signs to identify fake news to help make sure that the sources you use are accurate and up-to-date.
The story
A true news story will be unlikely to have just one source, so check to see if the same source appears elsewhere, and if it does, see if there are any different details. You should also consider the reason for the story. You may find that although it looks like news, it is in fact an ad or an internet joke.
Check the writer
Writers are usually keen to put their name to their work and will want it to be accurate to safeguard their professional reputation. A piece with no name may be fake. If there is a name, you can check their reliability. For example, they may have a reputation for printing their opinions, rather than facts. You can also check what qualifications they have. For example, if someone has a journalism degree from a reputable provider like //schoolofjournalism.co.uk, they are more likely to have produced a well-researched, accurate story.
Check the site
Many fake news sites do not look professional. They may be riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. Their web address too can show how professional they are, with reputable sites having addresses with endings like .com, .co.uk, .edu, .gov, or .org. Look at the date it was first published as well, as even reliable news can quickly become out of date.