It doesn't have to be this way. Fake news is actually really easy to spot -- if you know how. Consider this your New Media Literacy Guide.
1. Does the story come from a strange URL?
Zimdars says sites with strange suffixes like ".co" or ".su," or that are hosted by third party platforms like WordPress should raise a red flag. Some fake sites, like National Report, have legitimate-sounding, if not overly general names that can easily trick people on social sites. For instance, several fake reports from abcnews.com.co have gone viral before being debunked, including a June article that claimed President Obama signed an order banning assault weapon sales.
2. Does the headline match the information in the article?
Mantzarlis says one of the biggest reasons bogus news spreads on Facebook is because people get sucked in by a headline and don't bother to click through.
Just this week, several dubious organizations circulated a story about Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi. "Pepsi STOCK Plummets After...
Read More: How to outsmart fake news in your Facebook feed