Tips To Help Kids Fact-Check The News
Are you worried about the news your kids consume online? Fact-check and verify the news with these steps!
Admit it or not, the internet has become a cesspool of information. Sometimes, you are unsure of what’s real and fake. News organizations have launched workshops and seminars to teach viewers and their communities about spotting fake news. This includes seminars for parents to teach their kids about news consumption.
So, how can you ensure that the news your kids read online is from a reputable source? Here are some tips you can teach your kids when you are not around with them.
1. Check the source
It’s important to know the source of news your child consumes. Is it from reputable websites? Is the URL credible? Does it quote real people? If yes, there is a big chance the source is credible. But take note: even news sites make mistakes. So it’s best that you teach them to check on two to three websites that may carry the report.
2. Verify the URL link
A common mistake is not checking the URL (uniform resource locator). Fake news peddlers have become advanced in tricking people, so make sure to check their URLs.
3. Take time before reacting to the news
Stories are written to make you react – whether excited, frustrated, or angry. Chances are younger people will click the story if the headline is clickbait and later end up that it’s misleading. So, before even sharing it with your network, take time and read it. When sharing the story, make sure to give context on the post.
4. Build your media literacy skills
There are websites that you can go to to help spot disinformation and fake news. Websites you can check together with your children include Factcheck.org, Snopes, and OpenSecrets in the US. In the Philippines, various news organizations hold fact-checking workshops so be on the lookout.
5. Be wary of propaganda agenda
One of the challenges in helping fact-check information is whether the report has a propaganda agenda. It has a specific agenda if it has the following:
- Sticking to simple messages and slogans,
- Playing towards people’s emotions
- Blaming other people for problems
- Speaking to a specific audience and repeating the same message
Spotting propaganda can be challenging. It’s important to read the story with your children because what they read can also affect what they see, hear, and act upon.
6. When a mistake has been made, own up to it
We’ve often said that making mistakes is normal and that we should learn from it. If a story was shared without fact-checking, apologize and own up to it. After all, kids and parents are not perfect. Even the best journalists in the world commit mistakes, and they have ethics to follow. Always check the source of information, which is why it’s our number one in the reminders.
Remember: It’s a trial-and-error process
Getting better at fact-checking takes time and patience. It’s normal to feel confused, overwhelmed, and even annoyed with so much information. But doing this at a time when disinformation is rampant makes you and your kids wiser with the news you consume online and watch.
Take time to learn, but also be on the watch. You cannot always be by your child’s side on what they read or watch. But with the basic tools, you’ll be able to spot the mistakes and learn alongside your kid.
More tips about online protection
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