- "看到让你很生气的新闻，先别急着转发"——这篇文章教的最后一招，其实是反过来检查自己的情绪反应。
- 全文列出四招辨别假新闻的方法：查来源网站、查图片是否被移花接木、查其他媒体有没有跟进报道、留意全大写标题和弹窗广告这些"警报信号"。
- 教你用 Google 反向图片搜索这类免费工具，验证一张照片是不是被断章取义地拿来用。
- 强调就算确定是假新闻也不要转发——这条建议放在结尾，呼应开头"分享太容易了"造成假新闻扩散的问题。
- 读完能建立一套自己上网看新闻时可以直接套用的检查清单，不只是"多留意"这种空泛提醒。
重点内容
原文 / 段落
How to spot fake news
Every time you're online, you are bombarded by pictures, articles, links and videos trying to tell their story. Unfortunately, not all of these stories are true. Sometimes they want you to click on another story or advertisement at their own site, other times they want to upset people for political reasons. These days it's so easy to share information. These stories circulate quickly, and the result is … fake news.
There is a range of fake news: from crazy stories which people easily recognise to more subtle types of misinformation. Experts in media studies and online psychology have been examining the fake news phenomenon. Read these tips, and don't get fooled!
1. Check the source
Look at the website where the story comes from. Does it look real? Is the text well written? Are there a variety of other stories or is it just one story? Fake news websites often use addresses that sound like real newspapers, but don't have many real stories about other topics. If you aren't sure, click on the 'About' page and look for a clear description of the organisation.
2. Watch out for fake photos
Many fake news stories use images that are Photoshopped or taken from an unrelated site. Sometimes, if you just look closely at an image, you can see if it has been changed. Or use a tool like Google Reverse Image search. It will show you if the same image has been used in other contexts.
3. Check the story is in other places
Look to see if the story you are reading is on other news sites that you know and trust. If you do find it on many other sites, then it probably isn't fake (although there are some exceptions), as many big news organisations try to check their sources before they publish a story.
4. Look for other signs
There are other techniques that fake news uses. These include using ALL CAPS and lots of ads that pop up when you click on a link. Also, think about how the story makes you feel. If the news story makes you angry, it's probably designed to make you angry.
If you know these things about online news, and can apply them in your everyday life, then you have the control over what to read, what to believe and most importantly what to share. If you find a news story that you know is fake, the most important advice is: don't share it!
生词表
| 英文 | 中文 | 备注 |
|---|---|---|
| bombard (v.) | （信息、广告等）狂轰滥炸 | 比喻用法，不是真的轰炸 |
| circulate | （消息、谣言）流传 | |
| subtle | 细微的、不易察觉的 | |
| misinformation | 错误信息 | 泛指不实信息，跟蓄意造假的 disinformation 略有不同 |
| source | 来源 | |
| Photoshopped | 被（用 Photoshop）修图过的 | 已成为通用口语动词用法 |
| reverse image search | 反向图片搜索 | 上传图片找出处的搜索方式 |
| context | 语境、上下文 | 这里指"图片原本被使用的场合" |
| pop up (ad) | 弹出式（广告） | |
| get fooled | 被骗、被愚弄 |
理解要点
- 四个技巧各自有一个小标题，读的时候先扫标题，再决定哪一段要细读。
- 每个技巧后面通常先给判断标准（问题句形式，如 "Does it look real?"），再给具体做法，判断标准比做法更容易被考到。
- 结尾那句 "if the news story makes you angry, it's probably designed to make you angry" 是全文的隐藏重点——情绪反应本身就是一个警报信号。
- 文章语气是"教你自保"，不是"批判假新闻制造者"，读的时候留意作者一直用第二人称 "you"，在跟读者对话，不是在写学术分析。
Sources
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