I have to laugh or at least shake my head when some names for things that have long existed now have new names.
My father especially had a problem with this, for streets he had driven most of his life suddenly having unfamiliar street signs. Renaming some things such as buildings through sponsorships means big money for some, such as Conseco Fieldhouse, now Bankers Life Fieldhouse; or Deer Creek Music Center, which has changed names so many times I just wrongly call it that music place in Noblesville.
But name changes often occur to other things besides buildings, streets and parts of art museums, which went from Oldfields to Newfields.
One name that has become more of a problem lately is "fake news," or what was commonly known as "propaganda" for centuries, but especially after the invention of the printing press. The printing press enabled a faster spread of information to the masses, whether true or false, or slanted with a bias to persuade one’s cause or damage another cause. Sound familiar?
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However, with the inventions of television, computers, live-streaming, and social media, the speed of sharing information is faster than previous generations could have ever fathomed. When I think of all the changes just in the past 30 years in this Information Age, I’m sure I cannot imagine what will exist in the everyday lives of my children and grandchildren in their lifetimes.
With that being said, you may have noticed it is getting harder to discern what is true or not. So, how do you spot fake news as you scroll through the blaring headlines in your social media feeds or other sources? There are many sources, not all online, such as television, radio, newspapers and even by mouth, which we still do call "gossip" at times.
But how do we sort fake news from legitimate news? More importantly, what are our teens, soon to be young adults, learning about discerning legitimate information from all they see as they scroll faster through tiny screens held in the palms of their hands or on their wrists? How do you protect yourself from fake news?
The first step, of course, is knowing it exists and that it can go viral very quickly. Fake news can have negative impacts on not only individuals and groups, but also on other parts of our society. I could say more about this, but I will just leave it at that. Below are some easy ways to help spot fake news.
Evaluate and verify: Pay attention to the "Three W’s." -Who is the source? Is it credible?
-What is the message?
-Why was the information created and shared?
Some other red flags to pay attention to include whether anything is suspect in the site’s domain name or URL address. What is the date on the item? How timely is its publication for sharing at this particular time?
What is the quality of the information; are there repeated spelling or grammar errors? What sources are given? Does the story make sense, or are the headlines too incredible? Did you read the entire story, not just the headline?
I recently found myself excitedly looking up concert tickets and the venue for an Elton John concert in Shipshewana, Indiana. Really? I mean, I was hoping for a great chance of a lifetime to see Elton in a smaller venue, but guess what? Common sense and looking further into the details told me what I needed to know. Elton isn’t coming this year to Amish country in Indiana. But if he ever does, I’m signing up!
If you want more concrete proof of stories you find, but you’re just not sure, you can check with a librarian. Or to get you started, just use the headlines or main points to check Snopes.com, FactCheck.org, or Politifact.com.
I hope this helps with sorting through all the sensationalized headlines. Remember, stay open-minded and ask questions. Be very wary of "anonymous" as a credible source. Keep your sense of humor. Is the story a joke or satire? Finally, you can’t believe everything you see or read, or can you?
Teresa Holland is a writer, photographer, quilter and advanced-practice registered nurse. You may write to her at [email protected].
