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Friday, May 05, 2017

AP offers tips for journalists on how to fight the spread of fake news

The Associated Press has created a list of tips on how to fight fake news, which AP defines as "stories that contain misinformation that is designed to mislead people, stories containing some truth and some falsehoods, and stories that contain information that is not false, but may be misleading," Eric Carvin reports for AP.

AP says journalists should build stories around facts, be clear about where conclusions came from and "come up with ways to let the public come to you with questions about suspicious content online—then provide detailed answers, and thank them for being part of the process," Carver writes.

Refrain from being insulting. Carvin writes. "No matter how preposterous a false story may seem to you, don’t talk down to the people who shared it or believed it. When possible, even acknowledge why someone may have found something believable. Then let facts rule the day."

Another tip is to stray from the norm, such as experimenting with video or different text forms "that connect people with information quickly" and will keep an audience on its toes, Carvin writes.

Fact-checking also is key, Carvin writes. "Don’t just focus on fake news debunks, or on distinct fact-checking items. Whenever you produce anything that shares information from a newsmaker, fact-check what they say immediately, and include what you find out right there in your reporting. If someone says something particularly egregious, don’t even get to the end of the sentence without bringing in a reality check."

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