Was your attention drawn by a eye-cathcing headline? Don't immediately assume it is true! Always ask yourself who created the post, where it came from and why it was shared. A headline never tells the whole story. By asking yourself the questions below you can find out whether you are dealing with fact or fiction.
Always ask yourself who created and/or shared the post and where it came from. Find information about the creator(s)/sharer(s) of the post using a search engine. What is known about them? Are they impartial and reliable? Are they an expert on the subject?
Many fake posts shared on social media involve false framing; posts are summarized in such a way that their implications and conclusions no longer correspond to those of the original post. Therefore always check the original source.
Always ask yourself whether the source is what you expected, if there is anything that constitutes the source as biased and/or unreliable, and if the source has the expertise and/or resources to conduct (primary) research.
If you can hardly find reliable information about the creator/sharer and the source of the post, it is wise to take it with a grain of salt.
Ask yourself why something was posted, especially when you come across something on social media.
A reliable report gives you information by describing events without judging them, so that you can form your own opinion. Fake news often plays on emotions. The person who created or shared the post may have commercial, personal and/or political interests in doing so. The same also applies to the source from which the post originates.
Therefore pay close attention to who created or shared the post and which source it came from, because often you can quickly uncover the intention of a post. For example, is there a commercial interest? Or is the post colored by personal and/or political convictions? If so, it is quite possible that the post is intended to influence you.