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How you can stop wrong/fake news from going viral & Tips to help prevent the spread of rumour.

Updated: Apr 23, 2020

Guys, now days we are facing concerns related to fake news going viral rapidly. Till the time we come to know that what we forwarded was not true it is too late. We did some analysis how we can stop fake/wrong information going viral and we are here to share with you. Have a look!

https://www.bbc.com/ have to say something as below.

Corona virus: Here's how you can stop bad information from going viral


Corona virus misinformation is flooding the internet.

A parliamentary sub-committee is asking members of the public to submit examples. The committee has particularly requested submissions of disinformation spread in private groups and closed apps such as WhatsApp - the deadline is Monday.

Meanwhile, experts are calling on the public to practice "information hygiene". So what can you do to stop the spread of bad information online?




1. Stop and think

You want to help family and friends and keep them in the loop. So when you receive fresh advice - whether by email, WhatsApp, Facebook or Twitter - you might quickly forward it on to them.

But experts say the number one thing you can do to halt misinformation is to simply stop and think.

If you have any doubts, pause, and check it out further.


2. Check your source

Before you forward it on, ask some basic questions about where the information comes from.

It's a big red flag if the source is "a friend of a friend" or "my aunt's colleague's neighbor".

"The most reliable sources of information remain public health bodies like the NHS, the World Health Organisation, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA." says Claire Milne, deputy editor of UK-based fact-checking organisation Full Fact.

Experts are not infallible. But they are much more reliable than a stranger's distant relative on WhatsApp.

3. Could it be a fake?

Appearances can be deceptive.

It is possible to impersonate official accounts and authorities, including BBC News and the government. Screenshots can also be changed to make it look like information has come from a trusted public body.

Check known and verified accounts and websites. If you can't easily find the information, it might be a hoax. And if a post, video or a link looks fishy - it probably is.

Capital letters and mismatched fonts are something fact-checkers use as an indicator a post might be misleading, according to Claire Milne from Full Fact.


4. Unsure whether it's true? Don't share

Don't forward things on "just in case" they might be true. You might be doing more harm than good.

Often we post things into places where we know there are experts - like doctors or medical professionals. That might be OK, but make sure you're very clear about your doubts. And beware - that photo or text you share might later be stripped of its context.


5. Check each fact, individually

When you get sent long lists of advice, it's easy to believe everything in them just because you know for certain that one of the tips (say, about hand washing) is true.

But that's not always the case. Don't assume that every piece of information in a post is true simply because you know that one part of the message is definitely correct.


6. Beware emotional posts

It's the stuff that gets us fearful, angry, anxious, or joyful that tends to really go viral.

"Fear is one of the biggest drivers that allows misinformation to thrive," says Claire Wardle of First Draft, an organisation that helps journalists tackle online misinformation.

Urgent calls for action are designed to ramp up anxiety - so be careful.

"People want to help their loved ones stay safe, so when they see 'Tips for preventing the virus!' or 'Take this health supplement!' people want to do whatever they can to help," she says.


7. Think about biases

Are you sharing something because you know it's true - or just because you agree with it?

Carl Miller, research director of the Center for the Analysis of Social Media at think tank Demos, says we're more likely to share posts that reinforce our existing beliefs.

"It's when we're angrily nodding our head that we're most vulnerable," he says. "That's when, above everything else, we just need to slow down everything that we do online."



For more info check - https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-52326415 WhatsApp have added more details in its FAQ section as below:



Tips to help prevent the spread of rumors and fake news


1. Understand when a message is forwarded

Messages with the "Forwarded" label help you determine if your friend or relative wrote the message or if it originally came from someone else. When a message is forwarded from one user to another more than five times, it's indicated with a double arrow icon . If you're not sure who wrote the original message, double check the facts. To learn more about forwarding messages, please read these articles.


2. Check photos and media carefully

Photos, audio recordings, and videos can be edited to mislead you. Look at trusted news sources to see if the story is being reported elsewhere. When a story is reported in multiple places, it's more likely to be true.


3. Look out for messages that look different

Many messages or website links you receive containing hoaxes or fake news have spelling mistakes. Look for these signs so you can check if the information is accurate. To learn more about hoax messages, read this article.


4. Check your biases

Watch out for information that confirms your pre-existing beliefs and review the facts before sharing information. Stories that seem hard to believe are often untrue.


5. Fake news often goes viral

Even if a message is shared many times, this doesn’t make it true. Don't forward a message because the sender is urging you to do so. If you see something that's fake, tell the person that sent it to you and ask them to verify information before they share it. If a group or a contact is constantly sending fake news, report them. To learn how to report a contact or a group, read this article.


6. Verify with other sources

If you're still not sure if a message is true, search online for facts and check trusted news sites to see where the story came from. If you still have doubts, ask fact-checkers or people you trust for more information. For more info check - https://faq.whatsapp.com/26000216

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