4 Fact-Checking Tools to Help Stop the Spread of Fake News

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You may remember how during the 2020 pandemic, some people believed that 5G technology was what was causing Covid. The problem of fake news is something we were warned about even before 2019.

The media and governments have taken many steps to stop the spread of false information. And there are many tools to help combat it.

However, only a few people use them. This article will teach you the components of a job seekers database best tools to improve your fact-checking and spot fake news like a pro.

Today, more than ever, it is critical to prevent the spread of misinformation. We had the midterm elections in the US this week and the second round of the presidential elections in Brazil two weeks ago. A report showed that social media was losing the battle against misinformation.

Some of them are already updating their policies to prevent users from being misled about voting and elections, but we must do our part as marketers and content creators.

How long have fake news been with us?
Fake news has been around the internet for a while now. During the 2016 US presidential election, people started talking about this topic due to the number of fake stories that were spread on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.


Top stories in 2016. Source: Statista
But who produces fake news? Sometimes it is people with bad intentions or who work for an extremist party, but it can also be trolls and bots.

For example, according to CITS , in 2017 there were 23 million bots on Twitter (about 8.5% of all accounts), 140 million bots on Facebook (up to 5.5% of accounts), and about 27 million bots on Instagram (8.2% of accounts).

Why is it important to double-check what you share?
The most obvious problem with fake news is that it can confuse people about important issues, such as public health, social issues, and elections. It further polarizes and creates a sense of panic that impacts our democracy and the decisions of ordinary people.

Double-checking the information you read is important because:

protects you from spreading lies;
reduces the discomfort that a conspiracy theory can produce;
you share information in a more ethical and responsible way;
It helps you work through your own biases and encourages learning about both sides of the same story.
For Americans, fabricated information is becoming a bigger problem than climate change. According to the Pew Research Center , 50% of respondents say it is a very big problem .


How does this affect brands? Let's say you have a product about some essential oils and you received a review saying that your product can cure "x" or "y" disease.

You, as the product owner, know that this is impossible. What would you do? Would you let this false information spread or would you clarify that your oils do not have this attribute?

As we at Rock Content strive to improve marketing, we understand how important it is to share information in the most ethical way possible.

4 Fact Checking Tools You Need to Know About!
What's the easiest way to research something these days? Clearly, just Google it. However, that's not enough. That's why we created a list of tools that can help you uncover false information, half-truths, or biases.

1. Invid
Videos can also be manipulated. Trolls can cut a video, edit it, and post it without any context just to confuse others. The Invid Chrome extension lets you analyze videos, tweets, and data to understand them better.

2. Duplicate checker
Another tactic used by fake newsmakers is to use an image at a time and context that is not appropriate. For example, they can use an image of something that happened in India and make it look like it happened in Mexico. Duplichecker is a reverse image search engine that helps you identify the real source of an image.

3. Ground News
Ideological bias is also something that helps spread misinformation. Ground News helps you identify the type of coverage a news story receives. It is also available as a mobile app.


4. Fact-Checker NGO
To combat hoaxes and false claims, many independent journalists have created their own NGOs, websites, etc. A good example of this is Factcheck.org which specializes in American politics. There are other organizations, such as the International Fact Checking Network , which offers many resources and training for journalists and human rights advocates.

And don't forget: Check the original source!
Sources are key when checking whether some claims are true. Who is saying this? If they are quoting an organization, check what the official site says. Also, try to check whether other websites or magazines are covering the story in the same way, because not all of them may have the same biases.

There is so much information on social media that it is difficult to identify what is true and what is a hoax. We cannot control everything that appears on the Internet, but we can control what we are posting and what we want to read.

We continue to fight to make social media a safe place for everyone , and we can do our part by striving to share information responsibly.