Fake news is a term used to describe any news item that presents false information as facts in an attempt to make you believe a certain thing or react in a certain way. It is most often associated with politics, after coming to prominence during the 2016 American election.

Sometimes legitimate news outlets can get things wrong, but the difference between this and fake news is that fake news deliberately tries to mislead or provoke a reaction in the reader. If you’re a social media user, chances are you’ve read a fake news story without even knowing it. Here are some ways you can spot whether a news story is fake…

Check the website

Not all news sites are legitimate, and if you don’t recognise the website or haven’t heard of the publication before, then you should give the article extra scrutiny. Check the URL to make sure that you are reading from a trusted site, as some fake news sites use similar (but not identical) URLs to mainstream news organisations.

If the news is on social media in the form of a Facebook post or tweet which doesn't have evidence to back itself up, treat it with extra caution. In one month in 2018, over 45,000 Facebook posts were identified as fake news, spread by automated accounts to cause confusion and propaganda. Even if the Facebook post contains a video or an image, it is fairly simple to misrepresent the situation or even doctor the image to suit the post's political purpose. Always check out where the post comes from. It is usually easy to determine whether the news is reliable or not by looking at other posts from the account. If one of your friends shares news that you think is fake, point it out!

Is there a sensational headline?

Many fake news sites earn money by getting you to click on headlines, others know that most people who see the article on social media will only read the headline, and use a sensational headline to prompt the reader to share the article to a wider audience. If the article has an outrageous title, or a wild claim that makes you want to click to read more, look beyond the first few lines and try to find the evidence behind the claim. Remember, if it an outrageous claim that seems too outlandish to be true - it probably isn't.

Is it editorial?

Editorial is a type of news commentary that many legitimate news sources publish, but the key is to remember that it is a person’s opinion and might not take into account evidence which conflicts with their views. Similarly, if the article you’re reading is written like a news report but has opinions in it which aren’t quotes, then the article is probably biased. All respected news sources present news in an unbiased form and allow the reader to make up their own minds on an issue.

Examine the content

Many news organisations, real or fake, attempt to be the first to ‘break’ a news story in order to remain relevant in a highly-competitive market. If the article you’re reading seems rushed, has spelling mistakes, has an incorrect date, or anonymous sources, bear in mind that this news article might not have had time for all of the facts to be checked. Poor spelling, grammar and vocabulary on older articles may indicate that the item you are reading comes from an unreliable news outlet.

Where does the news come from?

Most news articles will have a ‘source’ for their information. Sometimes this source is named but other times the source is anonymous. Naming a source is a good indication that the news is real, as the person is willing to go on record and put their reputation at stake to break the news; however bear in mind that fake news sites often lie about their sources. To find out whether an article is properly sourced, check the named source’s social media for similar commentary and look to see if other news outlets are reporting on the same comments.

There are many legitimate reasons why sources choose to remain anonymous, so you don’t have to immediately discredit sources without a name - but bear in mind that without more information the source could be anyone.

A female driver for a Somerset based delivery company has just passed her LGV C driving licence, having been trained through Somax Driver Training, part of the Weston College Group.

Six months ago, Emma Wilson aged 32 from Weston-super-Mare, was a Dispensing Assistant at a Pharmacy and after a chance conversation with a Director of Jays Logistics, she decided to change her career path and joined the company as a van driver.

Emma was then signed up to the government’s trailblazer apprenticeship scheme for Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) Driver, this was done in conjunction with award winning trainers from Backwell based Somax Driver Training. On Monday 19th March 2018, Emma passed her LGV C driving test with only four minors.

The transport and logistics industry is heavily male orientated and the training required makes it seem expensive to get into, but across the UK there is a shortage of around 50,000 HGV drivers. With companies like Jays Logistics, in partnership with Somax and Weston College, offering many ways to get into the industry from warehouse, driving and office apprenticeships, this could be set to change.

Paul Phillips, Operations Director at Jays Logistics, said: “When Emma joined us in October 2017 we both took a leap of faith, Emma had never driven anything bigger than a Fiat 500!

“However, we took a chance; Emma took an initial drop in wages for the potential future earnings and a career doing something she enjoys.

“In five months Emma has learnt the ropes and has been driving a 4m Sprinter since her start, her confidence has soared, she is a well-liked, valuable and hardworking member of the team.”

This year’s Creative Arts Festival took place from 23rd May until the 21st June and provided our students with a fantastic opportunity to showcase their talents. There was a range of shows throughout the festival, with work produced by students studying courses throughout our Creative Arts Department.

The Summer Showcase took place at Loxton Campus, running for 8 days and was met with great reviews. There was a wide range of work on show, which was produced by students studying media production, graphics, photography, contemporary arts, graphic design, as well as art and design.

Our music students took over the Electric Banana for three nights, with students from Year 1, Year 2 and UCW taking to the stage and treating the audience to DJ sets, acoustic sessions and other musical performances.

The Performing Arts Showcase ‘The Greatest Show’ was a fantastic spectacle which took place in front of a packed out crowd in the Playhouse, and was met with standing ovations. If you are interested in studying any Creative Arts courses you can find information by clicking here.