How can we recognise fake news?

In a world full of fake news and disinformation, we are not defenceless. Critical thinking, supported by analytical tools, helps us decide if information that seems accurate truly is reliable. We may not gain certainty, but we will be able to sniff out the majority of false information.
 

An attractive way to increase your savings, a shocking tale of a family member who has had an accident and needs money fast to avoid going to prison, or the heart-rending story of an American colonel in search of a safe haven in Poland should set alarm bells ringing. We also have to decide on the veracity of heaps of other messages.

How are we to do this? Perhaps spontaneously, intuitively, hoping we’ll be right. But we can also apply critical thinking, using tools created to test credibility, such as the CRAAP test.

What is critical thinking?

Before we get to the test, a quick word about critical thinking. This is our basis, without which no tool will be of any use.
Critical thinking is a way of thinking (or perhaps even perceiving the world) that allows us to make a conscious and rational assessment of what we see and hear. This definition is, of course, highly simplified, and focuses on one element, the one of special interest to us in terms of fake news and disinformation. Thus understood, critical thinking is not “criticizing” or “picking holes in things,” it means taking an objective and rational look at a situation.

To think critically, you have to have (and develop) certain competencies, such as the ability to understand information, analyze its content or evaluate its applicability. For this we need the right approach – to be wary in accepting something as certain, a proclivity for verifying things, noticing hidden assumptions or questioning certain truths. This is all in order to reach the truth. And when it comes to fake news – to be sure if information is true or not.
 

The CRAAP test

Highly developed critical thinking skills help in many situations – they give you a fuller and more accurate image of the world, so you can make better decisions, perceive more opportunities, and plan more realistically.

Not every one of us, however, has had the chance to delve into the nuances of critical thinking, some of us need something “right away,” to better tell between real and false information. For these people, the CRAAP test is a great tool. It was created by librarian Sarah Blakeslee of Meriam Library at California State University in Chico, California to support students in critically analyzing sources they needed for their academic work, but it also comes in handy for the news (especially print or the radio) from outside the academic world.

How to use the CRAAP test? When you come across information that is important but you are unsure of whether you can trust it. Look at the five steps below, search for an answer to your question and… you’ll know.

Step 1. C is for ‘Currency’. Check when the information was made public, when it was updated, if the links it holds are active., if it isn’t too old to be reliable. At the same time, we should recall that being ‘current’ or ‘out-of-date’ does not necessarily make information more reliable.

Step 2. R if for ‘Relevance’. Check and see if the information you’re reading fits the issue, the subject you are exploring. Is it even on topic?  But also – is it tailored for you as a reader? Is it sufficiently in-depth, considering the significance of the information?

Step 3. A is for ‘Authority’. Do you know the source of the information? Is the person who prepared the information trustworthy? Do they know about the subject? Are they an authority in the field? What is the reputability of the medium where the information appears?

Step 4. A is for ‘Accuracy’. Is the information (e.g. the statistics, names) true and reliable? Are the sources provided? Does the research the authors mention exist? Do the people said to be authorities exist, and do they really specialize on this subject?

Step 5. P is for ‘Purpose’. What is the aim of this information? Is it meant to inform? To educate? To advertise? Has the person creating this information taken care to be objective? Do they present the ‘other side of the argument’? Do they draw from outside sources or write everything ‘on their own’? Is the tone of the material ‘shocking’ or ‘sensationalistic’? Can you separate the facts from the opinions?

If the answers to all these questions convince you the information is dependable, then there is a good chance that it is the truth (although you will not always be 100% sure). But if one of these steps comes up negative, then you must approach this information with more suspicion. Either discard it as false or look for other ways of verifying it. And don’t rely on the idea that information that looks false might turn out to be true. This is another error which we succumb to: wishful thinking. Don’t make this mistake!