Despite social media companies taking steps to fight misinformation and fake news on their platforms, misleading content is still rife.

These posts often get more engagement and therefore pushed higher up in our feeds, making the problem even harder to tackle.

Ultimately social platforms should do more to tackle fake news. But you can also push back in your own way.

Here’s how you can fight fake news on social media...

What Counts as Fake News?

Fake news is a deliberately misleading story. Fake news content may look similar to something you would read on an official news website and is usually circulated online and through social media.

Typically, fake news is created to spread a political agenda or reduce social cohesion.

While fake news is often confused with misinformation, there is one key difference. Fake news, also known as disinformation, is made with the deliberate purpose of misleading others.

On the other hand, misinformation is a story with false information—but it might not have been intended to deceive.

Signs that you might be engaging with fake news include:

  • Outrageous, clickbait headlines.
  • An unreliable news source.
  • A story that seems far too ridiculous to ever be true.
  • Stories that seem to confirm your pre-conceived ideas or biases.

Related: News Sites You Can Trust

You should also be careful when reading content about politics, especially if it has a bias towards either end of the spectrum.

If you feel like you’re engaging with fake news or notice others doing so, the below steps will help you make a difference.

Report the Big Offenders

page of book with info about blocking

The longer users, groups, and pages are allowed to spread fake news, the more people they will mislead. Once you’ve verified that a story is fake news, take a zero-tolerance approach.

Many social media platforms will allow you to report inappropriate content or accounts. If it hasn’t yet been removed, report the original post. You'll usually find this in the reporting options.

It’s also worth doing the same to the actual user, group, or page sharing the content. You can do this by visiting their account page.

Try Not to Engage With the Original Post

Social media rewards popular posts, including misleading content in some cases. If you leave a comment on a fake news post, you’ll risk boosting it in other people’s feeds. And while you might have acted in good faith, your comment might be swamped if lots of other people also leave one.

Instead, do your best not to engage with the original post so that it isn't boosted by the platform's algorithm. Rather report it.

Correct False Claims With Facts

person holding phone with twitter on the screen

While you should refrain from engaging with the original post, that doesn’t mean you need to ignore it completely. Once you’ve verified that the story is untrue, you can correct it with legitimate facts and statistics.

Related: Free Online Tests to Detect and Learn About Fake Information

To correct a fake news story without engaging with the original content, take a screenshot instead. Then, debunk it with what you’ve found when you share the screenshot.

It’s also worth thinking about using relevant hashtags and keywords to further raise awareness.

Warn Others That They Might Be Engaging With Fake News

person using laptop

When it comes to fighting back against fake news, it’s essential to help others. Since social media is fast-paced, it’s easy for users to get caught up in things without taking a moment to think. As such, people you follow might be engaging with fake news without realizing it.

If you see someone else engaging with fake news, send them a private message. Explain that you think they have shared a misleading story unintentionally. Once you’ve done this, report the original post.

Share Your Own Tips

Share your best tips with other people on your social media feeds so that they can also be proactive in fighting fake news.

Feel free to get creative with this. Rather than a standard body of text, you can create graphics or videos instead. To spread the message further, consider pinning your tips to the top of your profile.

Help Lead the Fight Against Fake News

Fake news remains a significant problem on social media. The consequences are enormous, too. Deliberately misleading stories can lead to violence, discrimination, and more.

Now you know how to fight back against fake news on social media, don’t be afraid to take the lead. Report pages and users, warn others, and debunk myths with well-researched facts.

When reading a story online, be sure to fact-check and consume content from reliable news websites. Slowly, you’ll help to tackle fake news.