Fake news often resembles real news. It's easy to spread content on social media, so it's important to stop, think and check before sharing.
Be critical of the content you share
We can all be fooled by scams or fake news. In fact, almost seven out of ten have experienced coming across online information they doubted was true. This information campaign: "Stopp.Tenk.Sjekk" (stop, think, check) is one of several measures taken on behalf of the Norwegian government's plan to prevent unwanted influence during the parliamentary and Sami parliamentary elections in the autumn of 2021.
How to reveal and avoid fake news online
In collaboration with the fact-checking service Faktisk.no, The National Association of Local Newspapers, The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) - and with support from Facebook – the Norwegian Media Authority has worked out six questions to ask yourself when reading content online. These questions will help you to stop, think and check whether or not the article, post or piece of news is trustworthy:
STOP.
Does the story evoke strong feelings?
Stories that evoke strong feelings are often widely shared. Some websites therefore publish such stories to get lots of clicks. You should be wary of sharing stories that evoke strong feelings.
Does the story seem unlikely?
False stories often use catchy headlines,
CAPITAL LETTERS, and exclamation marks! Remember that a headline and a photo do not tell the full story. Shocking headlines that seem too unlikely to be true, often are.
THINK.
Do you believe the photo?
Photos can also lie. Fake news stories often use photos taken out of context. Modern technology also makes it easy to produce fake video and audio recordings, so-called deep fakes.
Is the story trying to influence you?
There are usually many sides to a story. You should therefore be critical if only one side is being told. Strong political messages or extreme claims that are being spread require closer inspection.
CHECK.
Has the story been published elsewhere?
Sensational news spreads fast. If no other media are reporting the same thing, that could mean that the story is false.
Who is behind the story?
Check the website’s address line. Fake news often has a similar web address or appearance to a familiar news source. Check the sender and what others are saying about the source.
Information posters in six languages
Download Stop, think, check information film in different languages:
| Norwegian |
| New-Norwegian |
| English |
| Sami |
| Somali |
| Tigrinja |
| Polish |
| Arabic |
For Norwegian - go to the Norwegian site.