Anyone who’s used social media for a while has likely encountered bogus news. Whether on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat or another platform, users quickly learn to discount those posts they see that have no basis in fact. The line, “It must be true; I read it on the Internet” long ago became an obvious joke, right?
Perhaps not. Like email phishing and other scams, the distribution of false news stories has become more sophisticated as the Internet has grown. Sure, it’s easy to spot and avoid links bearing the giveaway terms “this one weird trick” and “what happened next will make you gasp!,” but as some area residents learned last week, false news reports can be harder to discern.
That’s bad news indeed for The Sentinel and other providers of actual news, but it’s also worrisome for consumers, who are becoming reliant on a wider variety of news sources, some of which, it seems, can’t really be trusted.
One such incident recently involved a story about a multiple homicide in Brattleboro. It came replete with quotes from a fictitious neighbor and from a Brattleboro police detective who also doesn’t exist, details enough to make it seem genuine to some.
The Brattleboro tale spread quickly on Facebook, but seems to have originated with a foreign “click bait” website. Worse, the link may have opened the door to malware for those who followed it, according to police. Yet, police said there’s little they can do to hold the culprits accountable, since they can’t follow the source of the foreign-based website that started the chain of sharing.
Instead, it’s up to users of Facebook and other social media sites to be more careful about what they click on. That’s a difficult task. There were some clues that the story was made up, but one would have to click on the link and read it through to find them.
Despite the increasing frequency with which such stories are appearing nationally, it ought to raise some flags with consumers when a tale involving five people shot to death in a local home doesn’t make any local news outlets. Anyone seeing the link could have tried to track it down via The Sentinel, the Brattleboro Reformer or other area newspapers, radio and TV news stations. They would either have soon realized the story was bogus, or wondered why it wasn’t being reported.
Honestly, we’re somewhat puzzled and chagrined that local residents might see such a sensational story and believe we — and all other local news outlets — missed it.
But we get it. When something shows up on your Facebook feed or Twitter, the obvious reaction is to treat it as if it’s real — especially if forwarded by a friend or relative.
Now, it appears, that reaction should be rethought.
The police advise consumers to keep anti-malware programs updated and running, and to avoid clicking on links directly through social media. Such links could come from us, or other trustworthy news sites. The Sentinel and others have increased our social media presence in recent years, and mobile apps are a great way to get news to readers fast.
So to trust or not? Well, if there’s any doubt, you could always note the source and seek the information on the sending organization’s website. As the saying goes: The truth is out there.
The real lesson, as it often is, is to be careful. Think before you click.
