Fact-checks versus fake news:
Which origin has this message?
- Web
- Does this web document have a site notice? What can be found out about these specified persons, companies....
- Checking the WHOIS database: Who is listed as the owner / operator of the website / page? Does this information fit with the site notice? What can be found out about the owner of the web document? (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whois)
- On the page: Is there an author mentioned? What can be found out about that author?
- Is it a very well known author on this subject? Any Wikipedia entries?
- Does the text contain facts which can be sifted? Other sources -not only internet- known and available?
- Does the writing style indicate if the text could be ironical?
- Does the author use a proper citation which can be sifted elsewhere?
- Is the argumentation logical and reasonable ?
- Facebook and other social nets or panels
- The message is not very believable if there is no real appearing authors name.
- Are there additional informations referring to this author's name?
- Can be verified if this name is real? Is the person reachable on other channels? Is it possible to speak with this person?
- Is there a verified Facebook profile? (https://www.facebook.com/help/196050490547892)
- Since when is this profile online?
- How many friends are listed in this profile? Can be found out anything about these profiles?
- Wikipedia
- Not everything which can be found on wikipedia is true!
- Check the history: Who wrote this at what time?
- Can be found out anything about these authors?
- Is there a special discussion page on wikipedia?
- Emails
- It's very easy to fake Emails or to manipulate accounts. => Fakemails.
- It' not easy to find out the origin and other facts of an email.
- It is very good and safe to use encrypted mails. Hints: https://www.heise.de/ct/artikel/Ausgebootet-289538.html
- Pictures an videos
- Check out the image background. Landscape, buildings, cars with their registration numbers, persons and clothes. Does this fit together? Does it fit with the text?
- Could be find similar pictures with an reverse-image-search (provided by image search engines)?
- Open the image file with a graphic application: are their metadatas inside the image and do they fit with the image content?
- There is a "Fake News Check"-App for the smartphone which considers very subjective and emotional issues.
- There's no such thing as absolute security against fakes.