We all have been scammed with fake news or false information from the news mediums on social media or the word of mouth.

Fact Check Explained covers what you should be looking for to verify any information when you get it. It isn’t normal to verify what we hear around us. And in today’s world, the information blasting is significantly impacting us. Although, there are credible facts checking options online, there is a complete world of wrong information around us.

Hardly someone remains protected from the fakes around us. Whether it is fake news, information, data or any means of communication. The reasons are multiple. It can be a planned misinformation campaign or a disinformation activity with gains to some people, community or the group. In this, it becomes hard to ascertain facts and real information. Moreover, the newer tools and approaches make it more difficult to get real information. The reason is simple: the newer approaches involve playing with the data or information right from the very beginning and putting it in form of real, true event, action or activity. Thus, one is left in a misinformation-based actuality which isn’t actual at all.

For instance, you may see an infographic sheet which is attractively designed with multiple sets of data forming percentiles while sharing statistical information and it draws conclusions through multiple ways. It also displays a strong data set along with organizational digital presence which includes a comprehensive profile and a robust team. Anyone would trust this information. However, it may not be true.

All this information may be manipulated, statistically incorrect or event completely inaccurate. Thus, it is imperative that one looks into the facts of any information we receive.

Fact Check Explained

To ascertain this information, there are multiple means of fact checking the information. No, please don’t say I’ll Google or check it through ChatGPT or any AI model. All these tools are getting information from other sources. For instance, Google implements Search Engine Optimization-SEO to share any specific website for any query. Well, the SEO is a technical process involving experts from the web teams who can maneuver the system to bring their website on the top of Google searches. In no way, it can be termed as a fully correct information.

While Google or any search engine tries to bring about exact search query for you. They have their own limits. They cannot verify the correctness of information for every query. On the other hand, the AI models use generative technology which is also user fed information. Well, you must have seen the AI errors when you try to seek through the artificial intelligence technology. Frankly, we can call it Artificial Information as well.

So, we come to fact checking. In today’s complexities, one needs to be over smart to get the correct information. You need to be well informed to know what is correct and what isn’t. Yet, the basic fact checking involves certain measures. And, no, it does not involve tools.

The fact checking tools may offer some uses. However, they are also technology-oriented structures with specifics that can only identify large scale misinformation. The actual processes are way different these days. Those who want to spread wrong information knows this and they can easily maneuver these tools

How To Get Correct Information?

For Fact Check Explained, our dilemma remains the same and thus we look into ways of finding the correct information.

First, you have to see that the person or entity which is sharing information have a history of sharing similar information. For instance, if an e-commerce site is sharing some news information; one should be questioning its reason. Similarly, if an entity has expertise in health reporting, one should question its defense related information. This common-sense behavior can help you in understanding the first exclusivity for knowing the information correctly.

The second aspect includes the integrity of the sharing entity. We all know there is huge trolling around the world. What if you hear a troll and find its information to be true. Well, their integrity is already low and thus, the information they share may not be fully correct. Or, they may have some reasons to share this information. One has to delve into it to get the exact information and the purposes.

Checking Facts Amid Belief Systems

Another aspect includes the internal belief system of an entity or a person. For instance, if someone has hatred to another individual, you would definitely find biased views here. If you ask a religious leader about a pop singer, what do you think they will say? Of course, they have all the negative sentiment. But one has to look into the divine books to verify any such information.

Similarly, if you hear media of any two different competing countries. Well, you would find someone’s hero as the other’s villain. For instance, if you read Maduro’s supporters; you will find President Trump as a villain who has kidnapped a foreign leader. On the other hand, the US media will depict Maduro as a dictator. So, you can see competing information here. Interestingly, they are both partially correct. Yet, one has to ascertain it technically as well.

Moreover, if you look at a British source, they may share information based on their own agenda. On the other hand, a Chinese source may share an opposite version who may have their own agenda. Well, there’s nothing wrong here. Both these sources may share true information Check. Yet, they will spin the content as per their own agendas. A story at Reuters may differ from the story at BBC or CNN.

Well, whatever we have read above is still information spinning or misinformation. You can review multiple sources to get correct information which may include following multiple media outlets, key individuals surrounding the activity and reviewing any secondary data.

Through this, you can relatively get truer information.

Fact Check Amid Disinformation

The spreading of disinformation is the most dangerous. It is willful, planned and organized to promote one’s information disguised as facts. For instance, there were claims of attack on a port in Lahore during India Pakistan conflict. There is no port in Lahore. Similarly, there was a planned disinformation campaign involving 65 countries with European organizations for years to malign the image of Pakistan.

It includes claims of Iran’s takeover after US Israeli intervention. The Iranian regime also spread disinformation while claiming that their Supreme Leader was alive when he was no more. The disinformation continues stronger when the information is withheld or stopped from flowing. The current stopping of information in Gulf countries is bringing false stability narrative around the world. These are all untrue.

Thus, the disinformation campaigns are more worrisome and require fact checking before sharing it further or forming an opinion. Fortunately, the disinformation dies down sooner because of its complete fabrication. Howsoever, it can damage one’s repute or diminish the aura if they are consistently sharing such disinformation.

The best way is to check through the real sources and multiple platforms with varying views in order to get exact, real and true information.