# CNN has a comprehensive article on spotting fake news. Can we make it a sticky? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 19, 2016, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472 "2016-11-19T20:49:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/1 "2016-11-19T20:49:20Z")
Fake news, misleading news, click bait what ever you call it is a problem. Obama even said it threatens democracy. [https://www.google.com/amp/amp.usatoday.com/story/94045428/?client=ms-android-motorola](https://www.google.com/amp/amp.usatoday.com/story/94045428/?client=ms-android-motorola) CNN put together a good article on recognizing fake news. A sticky to the link might be useful to new posters. Any thoughts? How to spot fake news > **[Here's how to outsmart fake news in your Facebook feed | CNN Business](https://www.cnn.com/2016/11/18/tech/how-to-spot-fake-misleading-news-trnd/index.html)** > > Fake news is actually really easy to spot -- if you know how. Consider this your New Media Literacy Guide. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/2 "2016-11-19T21:48:20Z")
Has anyone here ever been fooled by a fake news story? I’m so cyclical I assume _real_ news stories are inaccurate if they seem “out there” until I see confirmation(s) or a primary source. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/3 "2016-11-19T21:56:53Z")
A fair number of the Stupid Republican Ideas of the Day have been fake news. So, yes, some here are fooled. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/4 "2016-11-19T22:02:35Z")
Credulity is not a virtue. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/5 "2016-11-19T22:11:43Z")
You mean there _aren’t_ three vitamins that purge body fat naturally or it’s okay to _not_ do this when I turn off my computer … At least Gwen Ifill is still alive … ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/6 "2016-11-20T02:19:04Z")
I don’t think it’ll work. If you’re the type who doesn’t know how to verify news stories, why would you be the type to go read a sticky about fake news? The only way something like this would work is if it had teeth. If you could get a mod note for posting a fake story that you could easily tell was fake. And I don’t see that happening. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/7 "2016-11-20T05:36:00Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Fake news, misleading news, click bait what ever you call it is a problem. Obama even said it threatens democracy. > [https://www.google.com/amp/amp.usatoday.com/story/94045428/?client=ms-android-motorola](https://www.google.com/amp/amp.usatoday.com/story/94045428/?client=ms-android-motorola) > > CNN put together a good article on recognizing fake news. > > A sticky to the link might be useful to new posters. > > Any thoughts? > How to spot fake news > [http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/18/tech/how-to-spot-fake-misleading-news-trnd/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/18/tech/how-to-spot-fake-misleading-news-trnd/index.html) Obama said many times, “If you like your plan, you can keep your plan.” And CNN helped him spread that message. And this is only one example. And you think they’re reliable for recommending sites that ferret out “fake” news? Seriously? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/8 "2016-11-20T05:46:01Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > …The only way something like this would work is if it had teeth. If you could get a mod note for posting a fake story that you could easily tell was fake. And I don’t see that happening. I would think that the SDMB is somewhere that we’d _welcome_ the posting of pervasive but fake news stories (provided it’s not done maliciously or disruptively, of course). SDMB is a far more efficient crowd-sourced version of Snopes: on almost any factual topic, the chances are that somebody on here will have the knowledge or reputable citations to debunk nonsense within a few minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/9 "2016-11-20T05:51:23Z")
You mean Sally Field is really still alive? ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/10 "2016-11-20T06:13:30Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I don’t think it’ll work. If you’re the type who doesn’t know how to verify news stories, why would you be the type to go read a sticky about fake news? Because that is how most people operate. Most people go after the flashy headline. Thus you got all your gossip mags and TMZ and The Daily Mail and your what nots. Because most humans don’t have the time, (most of us have to work and then tend to our families and then want what little time is left to escape with TV or books or games or some such), or inclination to spend an hour or more to track down multiple stories authenticity. Fake news is already more popular than real news on Facebook. > **[Probe reveals stunning stats about fake election headlines on Facebook](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-fake-election-news-more-popular-than-real-news-buzzfeed-investigation/)** > > Buzzfeed investigation found in the last three months of the campaign, fake headlines hooked Facebook users more than real headlines > [@](#): > > BuzzFeed News said during the last three months of the presidential campaign, of the top 20 fake election-related articles on Facebook, all but three were all anti-Clinton or pro-Trump. And Facebook users engaged with them using a share, a like or a comment more than 8.7 million times > > But they engaged with the top 20 election-related stories from legitimate news outlets – both pro and con for each candidate – fewer than 7.4 million times. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/11 "2016-11-20T12:50:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **rowrrbazzle** > > Obama said many times, “If you like your plan, you can keep your plan.” And CNN helped him spread that message. Did Obama actually say that? Yes? Then it wasn’t fake news, it was real news. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/12 "2016-11-20T14:48:32Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’m so cyclical You say you are, but are you wheelly? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/13 "2016-11-20T15:19:51Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Credulity is not a virtue. I believe you. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/14 "2016-11-20T15:37:59Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Has anyone here ever been fooled by a fake news story? I know that in the last few months I’ve clicked on links that took me straight to the “Your Browser Has Been Hijacked” ride - and I am both experienced and suspicious of any link that even whiffs of being bogus. At least at the link/clickbait level, they looked legit. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/15 "2016-11-20T16:28:13Z")
Fake news sites say it’s CNN that’s really fake, and they’re fighting back: > **[Natural News announces economic boycott of CNN corporate sponsors, including...](https://www.naturalnews.com/056077_CNN_boycott_corporate_sponsors_fake_news.html)** > > Natural News announces economic boycott of CNN corporate sponsors, including GEICO, WellsFargo, Sprint, Dodge and ETrade 😕:smack::(😕:mad::dubious: ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/16 "2016-11-20T18:26:25Z")
I used to get fooled by click bait until I joined the SDMB. Several members here pointed out things I needed to look for or check before posting a link. It’s helped me a lot. I thought maybe the CNN “identifying fake news” article might be useful to other members. It was worth suggesting as a sticky. I get annoyed when even legit news sites post bait headlines. Right now CNN has a link… One thing Anthony Bourdain absolutely won’t try You got to click it to find out he won’t dance the tango. Clicking isn’t a big deal, just a minor annoyance. I even see local tv news use teasers in promos. Teasing a story at 6. 16 mins into the broadcast you finally see what ever they teased. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/17 "2016-11-20T20:08:41Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I know that in the last few months I’ve clicked on links that took me straight to the “Your Browser Has Been Hijacked” ride - and I am both experienced and suspicious of any link that even whiffs of being bogus. At least at the link/clickbait level, they looked legit. Is it wrong that I immediately heard Your Browser Has Been Hijacked to the tune of “The Piano Has Been Drinking”? ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/18 "2016-11-20T21:30:49Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Fake news sites say it’s CNN that’s really fake, and they’re fighting back: > > [Natural News announces economic boycott of CNN corporate sponsors, including GEICO, WellsFargo, Sprint, Dodge and ETrade - NaturalNews.com](http://www.naturalnews.com/056077_CNN_boycott_corporate_sponsors_fake_news.html) > > 😕:smack::(😕:mad::dubious: 1. Look to see if the story uses bold lettering to highlight the already obviously important points. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/19 "2016-11-21T00:39:44Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I used to get fooled by click bait until I joined the SDMB. Several members here pointed out things I needed to look for or check before posting a link. It’s helped me a lot. “Used to”? All you do here is post click bait OPs to Daily Mail articles. If you’ve gotten _better_ since joining the SDMB I shudder to think what you must have been like before. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472/20 "2016-11-21T00:56:45Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > You say you are, but are you wheelly? Don’t be such a cyclic. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-has-a-comprehensive-article-on-spotting-fake-news-can-we-make-it-a-sticky/772472.md?page=2)