Outrageous News Headlines Are they FAKE or Real? Plus, more!
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Outrageous news HEADLINES are almost always the first thing that pops up when logging into my social media accounts. Facebook alone is said to have over 185 million daily users. While some days I dread logging into Facebook to weed through the news feed display of real news versus fake news, it is my go-to source for quick news references. I've discovered the '12 Thailand Boys and their Soccer Coach Trapped in the Cave', 'The Fatal Bronx Bodega Stabbing' and many other headlines via FaceBook. However, according to a professor at Pace University, social media breeds fake news. Putting social media aside for a moment, it is difficult to find a trusted news source whether it is delivered via print, radio, online, or television. How could we find reliable news sources?
We're going to have some fun with this article. First, I will provide some tips on how to determine whether or not you've found a news article from a trusted source. Secondly, we will review some outrageous news headlines that will leave you in awe.
The best way to weed out fact from fiction is by thoroughly examining the source. During college, I was required to take a library research course, as well as a critical thinking course which proved extremely beneficial. The first thing we were taught was not to use Wikipedia as a reference. Why!?! Wikipedia can be edited by anyone! Researching sources for this article took more time than I planned. I finally discovered a presentable, valid infographic, found below, that can be used at your leisure to determine whether you've come across an accurate news source.
The infographic pinpoints helpful ways to distinguish real news from FAKE news. I've found the following two points most helpful: 1) The headline matches the article vs. headline doesn't match the article. Don't get excited and stop at the headline, read beyond to make sure the news story is consistent with its title throughout the entire story. FAKE articles often will attract readers by their title and be filled with generalizations and advertisements. 2) The story comes from a well-known or reliable news source vs. the story comes from an unknown or unfamiliar website. Many myths and rumors have been debunked by resourceful sites such as SNOPES.com. If something doesn't sound right, research it! If an article doesn't have an author, an available biography or the website is not from a traceable source, I'd say it is a FAKE article.
My advice is to think twice before you click! Be careful, clever headlines are made to attract attention and are not necessarily real. There are sites that generate fake news headlines! I found one here: Fake News Generator. Anyone can come up with a headline, a description, a picture, etc. and the site helps generate a link. Why hasn't this site and similar ones been shut down?
Now that we've covered some basic pointers, let's see what strange headlines have been in the news lately.
Homeless man with no arms charged with stabbing tourist has made many different media outlets over the past month. I heard this headline first on the radio and thought to myself, how could this be? The incident took place in Miami, Florida. The homeless man allegedly stabbed the tourist with a pair of scissors held in his feet. I had to read the story twice to make sense of it. A witness reported that the homeless man jumped up and stabbed the tourist - how is that possible if he used his feet to stab someone? There are two sides to every story and then there's the truth!
What they thought was a rusty box in their backyard was a safe with $52,000 worth of treasure was another story that caught my eye. A Staten Island, New York couple found a safe in their backyard. We all know at least one person that has found money buried within the walls of their old homes while remodeling. When the safe was opened to their amazement there were thousands of dollars and jewelry. The shocking part is that the safe belonged to a neighbor!
At Variety of Views we care about your opinion and would like to know: What is your favorite go-to source for news? Have you come across any outrageous news headlines that make you wonder what is going on in today's society?
We're going to have some fun with this article. First, I will provide some tips on how to determine whether or not you've found a news article from a trusted source. Secondly, we will review some outrageous news headlines that will leave you in awe.
The best way to weed out fact from fiction is by thoroughly examining the source. During college, I was required to take a library research course, as well as a critical thinking course which proved extremely beneficial. The first thing we were taught was not to use Wikipedia as a reference. Why!?! Wikipedia can be edited by anyone! Researching sources for this article took more time than I planned. I finally discovered a presentable, valid infographic, found below, that can be used at your leisure to determine whether you've come across an accurate news source.
The infographic pinpoints helpful ways to distinguish real news from FAKE news. I've found the following two points most helpful: 1) The headline matches the article vs. headline doesn't match the article. Don't get excited and stop at the headline, read beyond to make sure the news story is consistent with its title throughout the entire story. FAKE articles often will attract readers by their title and be filled with generalizations and advertisements. 2) The story comes from a well-known or reliable news source vs. the story comes from an unknown or unfamiliar website. Many myths and rumors have been debunked by resourceful sites such as SNOPES.com. If something doesn't sound right, research it! If an article doesn't have an author, an available biography or the website is not from a traceable source, I'd say it is a FAKE article.
My advice is to think twice before you click! Be careful, clever headlines are made to attract attention and are not necessarily real. There are sites that generate fake news headlines! I found one here: Fake News Generator. Anyone can come up with a headline, a description, a picture, etc. and the site helps generate a link. Why hasn't this site and similar ones been shut down?
Now that we've covered some basic pointers, let's see what strange headlines have been in the news lately.
Homeless man with no arms charged with stabbing tourist has made many different media outlets over the past month. I heard this headline first on the radio and thought to myself, how could this be? The incident took place in Miami, Florida. The homeless man allegedly stabbed the tourist with a pair of scissors held in his feet. I had to read the story twice to make sense of it. A witness reported that the homeless man jumped up and stabbed the tourist - how is that possible if he used his feet to stab someone? There are two sides to every story and then there's the truth!
What they thought was a rusty box in their backyard was a safe with $52,000 worth of treasure was another story that caught my eye. A Staten Island, New York couple found a safe in their backyard. We all know at least one person that has found money buried within the walls of their old homes while remodeling. When the safe was opened to their amazement there were thousands of dollars and jewelry. The shocking part is that the safe belonged to a neighbor!
At Variety of Views we care about your opinion and would like to know: What is your favorite go-to source for news? Have you come across any outrageous news headlines that make you wonder what is going on in today's society?
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