In today`s post-truth era, the concept of fake news has taken center stage.

Agenda disagrees with the facts? It`s fake news. Don`t like what the other networks are saying about you? Also fake news. Content creators have become increasingly successful at fooling people into believing half-truths and complete lies. Worse yet, social media makes is incredibly easy and quick to share misinformation to large audiences.

Let`s look at the different types of fake news, their common traits, and then how to identify each so you protect yourself.

Types of fake news

Propaganda

Adopted by governments, corporations and non-profits to manage attitudes, values, and knowledge
Appeals to emotions
Can be beneficial or harmful

Partisan

Ideological and includes interpretations of facts but may claim to be impartial
Privileges facts that conform to the narrative whilst forgoing others
Emotional and passionate language

Conspiracy Theory

Tries to explain simply complex realities as response to fear or uncertainty
Not falsifiable and evidence that refutes the conspiracy is regarded as further proof of the conspiracy
Rejects experts and authority

Pseudoscience

Purveyors of greenwashing, miracle cures, anti-vaccination, and climate change denial
Misrepresents real scientific studies with exaggerated or false claims
Includes scientific-sounding words to sound believable
Often contradicts experts

Clickbait

Eye-catching, sensational headlines designed to distract
Often misleading and content may not reflect headline
Drives ad revenue
Sponsored Content

Advertising made to look like editorial
Potential conflict of interest for genuine news organizations
Consumers might not identify content as advertising if it is not clearly labelled

Satire and Hoax

Social commentary or humor (for example, The Onion)
Varies widely in quality and intended meaning may not be apparent
Can embarrass people who confuse the content as true

Error

Established news organizations sometimes make mistakes
Mistakes can hurt the brand, offend, or result in litigation
Reputable organizations acknowledge mistakes and publish apologies

Misinformation

Includes a mix of factual, false, or partly-false content
Intention can be to inform but author may not be aware the content is false
False attributions, doctored content, and misleading headlines

Bogus

Entirely fabricated content spread intentionally to disinform
Guerrilla marketing tactics; bots, comments, and counterfeit branding
Motivated by ad revenue, political influence, or both

How do you protect yourself from fake news?

Does the headline sound unrealistic? Don`t believe everything you read.
Check the URL. Does it have any odd suffixes or substitutions designed to mislead viewers?
Check the author`s credentials. Skip anonymous news reports.
Is it misleading? Make sure the headline and/or picture matches the content.
Consult and compare competing sources. For example, what is Fox News saying VS CNN?
Fact check stories with sites like Snopes, Politico, and Politifact. Be aware of false attribution (attributing images, quotes, or video to the wrong source), doctored content (such as statistics, graphs, photos, and videos that have been modified, doctored, or taken out of context), and counterfeit content (ie: fake Twitter accounts posing to be legitimate sources).
Dig deeper. Follow up on cited sources and quotes. Is the cited source reputable?
Beware of online 'filter bubbles' that show you only items that are similar to items you have liked. This is especially important on social media sites like Facebook, which shows you content similar to the kinds you`ve previously engaged with.
Be open-minded. Ask questions. Lots of questions.