How to Spot Fake News: A 7-Point Checklist

Why fake news works

Fake and misleading stories are engineered to bypass your judgement — they use outrage, fear or confirmation of what you already believe so you react and share before you think. Slowing down for sixty seconds defeats most of them. Run any surprising story through these seven checks.

The 7-point checklist

• 1. Check the source. Is it a real newsroom with a track record, or a site you have never heard of? Look for an "About" page and a named author.
• 2. Read past the headline. Headlines are written to grab clicks. The article underneath often says something more measured — or contradicts the headline entirely.
• 3. Check the date. Old stories are constantly recycled as if they just happened. Confirm when it was actually published.
• 4. Look for evidence. Real reporting cites sources, names, documents or data. Vague claims with no attribution are a red flag.
• 5. See who else is reporting it. A genuine major event is covered by many outlets within hours. If only one obscure site has it, be sceptical.
• 6. Check the images. Photos are often reused from unrelated events. A reverse image search shows where a picture really came from.
• 7. Watch your own bias. If a story perfectly confirms what you already believe, that is exactly when to double-check it.

The fastest single check: compare sources

Point 5 is the most powerful, and a news aggregator makes it effortless. Because VaaWaa.com gathers the same story from 200+ publishers onto one page, you can instantly see whether a claim is widely reported or coming from a single questionable source. Reading two or three outlets side by side is the quickest way to separate fact from fabrication — see our guide to reading unbiased news for the method.

Before you share

Sharing is how misinformation travels. If you cannot confirm a story with the checklist above, do not pass it on. A minute of checking protects your own credibility and slows the spread for everyone else.