AS Donald “I’m really great, everybody says so” Trump is so fond of pointing out, there is a lot of fake news around nowadays. Honest.
Your friends at Facebook think so too, and have recently been publishing their top tips for spotting false news – by placing them as ads in newspapers. Considering they came in for considerable criticism themselves, that’s like shouting “Squirrel!” and pointing at a tree while you hastily kick away the prize begonias you just trampled.
To help you make sense of this (and because I’m a caring person), I thought I’d run you through their suggestions and help to explain them for you. I know. I’m lovely.
READING THIS ARTICLE WILL IMPROVE YOUR SEX LIFE! And explain that catchy headlines, or stuff all in capitals, might be a bit iffy.
You can find out more about this at www.wowyouregullible.com if you want to understand how phoney web addresses are a sure sign of dodgyness.
Look at me – I’m a trustworthy guy, right? Nothing strange about me. I’ve never made anything up, like a dystopian future article, or argued why wind-chime owners want to see the planet burn. Nope.
Thats just reediculouss. You’d nevet catch me making a schoolboy error5Like that.
Apparently, manipulated images are a sign that something is amiss. Here’s me having a lovely cappuccino while thinking about that.
Apparently, the timelines in fake news might not make sense, which is exactly what I said in my column on the 31st of February. The one about Freddie Mercury making a new album this week.
Lack of evidence, or reliance on unnamed experts, is exactly the kind of thing that spells trouble, according to my totally amazing Facebook top CEO/Insider friend. True story.
You can read exactly the same thing over on the BBC website. And it was in the Guardian, so it must be true.
Obviously, there is a chance a piece was deliberately written to be funny or satirical. Lucky for you, I’m the one doing this bit of in-depth investigative journalism, so you can sleep easy knowing this isn’t in the slightest bit humorous.
No. Really? Does that mean Trump isn’t president? I’m starting to like this fake news malarkey after all. Especially now that Beyonce has married Roy Castle.
