## Step 1. Who, where & why

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.

On the 10th of July 2023 an article titled 'Miss USA Boycotts Miss Universe Pageant: "I'm Not Competing Against a Man"' was shared on social media. Many people on social media appeared to believe the posts. A fact check by Reuters has revealed that the shared article is satirical in origin. In the examples that follow we show you how you could check this yourself.

##### Who & where

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?

People who spread fake news often do so with fake accounts. An account that has been active for a short period and has few or no followers could be a fake account.

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.

People who create fake news try to make their posts look like real news as much as possible. Check the source of a message by searching the website for information under "about us", "disclaimer", or "contact". There you will often find information about the organization, company or creators of the website and the reason why the website was created.
With the help of a search engine you can find out what is known about the source and what others write about it. Most (major) publications and organizations also have a Wikipedia page.

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.

##### Why

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.