Thread by @We3forDemocracy

How to identify Fake News.

Churned (through media) rumour, gossip and opinion are the foundations of Fake News.

Always ask yourself:
What are the verifiable facts claims are being made about?
What agenda/bias does the speaker or writer likely have (check out their background)?

Interviews with so-called experts are often wittingly or unwittingly the vehicle used to spread Fake News, misinformation and propaganda.

Expert opinions are often wrong
A doctor can be of the opinion that a cough is due to a cold or allergy, when its unfortunately due to cancer

Experts are human and can make errors of judgement; esp when it involves opinion/interpretation of what facts mean.

Who hasn’t experienced a tradie thinking something was the cause of a problem, but it was something else.

Look at the so-called experts who claimed WMD in Iraq

Talking TV heads typically aren’t any more expert on politics than informed members of the public
👉🏼But they are influential, and often show political bias that owners or advertisers support

The consequences can be disastrous e.g. encouraging support for wars based on Propaganda

I’m not saying you should write off the opinion of experts.
👉🏼But even experts have differing opinions on what certain facts mean

Always be suspicious when there are no verified / verifiable facts.
No ones non-fact-based opinion should be unquestioningly be assumed to be a fact

Be especially suspicious of likelihood of an agenda behind rumours anonymously leaked to media - subsequently portrayed by media as if fact

You can bet that if someone in govt or a political party etc wants leaked cherry picked info public - its to manipulate you & your opinion