Can You Spot Fake News?

I have to admit it is getting harder for me to find the truth on the Internet and this is my job as a professional news writer now. I constantly get stuff emailed to me from others that I recognize as “fake news.” I try my best NOT to forward any of these emails without first attempting to check for truthfulness. If I an unsure now, I do not forward the email and it goes to the trash. Why pollute the minds of my friends with complete bullshit? I don’t like to do that.

Some things are easier to spot than others, such as the proven lies uttered by Trump in the public statements he makes. Politico reports that only 5% of what Trump says is completely true. Abe Lincoln is probably rolling over in his grave. This is not a matter of opinion or of “alternate truths.” Trump is a blatant, pathological liar. The good news is that he did not mean almost all of the things that he said as campaign promises. That is also the bad news because Americans elected a con man. Want to know what Trump really thinks or might do? Take opposite opinions about an issue and flip a coin to choose a result. You will have a better chance doing this, than listening to anything Trump actually says. 

The PolitiFact Trump Lying Scorecard

·                                 True             19 statements (5%)

·                                 Mostly True  50 statements (12%)

·                                 Half True      60 statements (15%)

·                                 Mostly False82 statements (20%)

·                                 False         132 statements (32%)

·                                        Total Lies 65 statements (16%)

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A Pew survey showed that about 85% percent of adults believe they are very confident or somewhat confident about their ability to spot a fake news story. But large-scale, post-election survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for BuzzFeed News found that fake news headlines fool American adults about 75% of the time.

Want to find out how good you are at spotting “fake news”?

Here are some fake news quizzes from Buzzfeed to test your skills

https://www.buzzfeed.com/tag/fake_news_quiz