Misinformation spreads because it is built to be shared fast, before anyone checks. The good news is that most fakes give themselves away in about 30 seconds if you know what to look for. Here is the checklist. Save it, and send it to the person in your life who needs it.
The six checks
1. Find the source, by name
Real reporting names who found the story: a reporter, an outlet, a study, a court document. If a claim only says sources say or people are saying, treat it as unverified until you can see who actually stands behind it.
2. Follow the link to the original
Trustworthy coverage links out to the thing it is describing, the report, the announcement, the data. If you cannot click through to a primary source and the trail dead-ends on opinion, be suspicious.
3. Mind the gap between headline and body
Fake and rage-bait headlines promise something the article never delivers. Read past the first paragraph. If the story does not actually support the headline, the headline is the product, not the news.
4. Notice how it makes you feel
If a headline is engineered to make you furious or terrified, slow down. Strong emotion is the main tool of misinformation, because angry and scared people share before they check.
5. Check the date
Old stories get recycled and reshared as if they just happened, especially during a crisis. A quick look at the publish date catches a surprising amount of it.
6. Look for a second source
If something huge is reported by only one outlet and nobody else has it, wait. Real, big stories get picked up and corroborated quickly. One lonely source on a massive claim is a red flag.
Practise on a real game
Spotting fakes is a skill, and skills get sharper with practice. InSnip has a free daily game, Signal or Noise, where you pick the real headline out of a lineup. No login, and you get a shareable result at the end. It is a genuinely fun way to train the instinct above. Play today's round.
And the reason InSnip works the way it does is this exact problem. Every story in the app names and links the publication it came from, with a plain why it matters line, so you are never asked to take a headline on faith. That is checks one and two done for you, on every single story.
Signal or Noise. No login, new round every day. Or get the free app for source-backed news.
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Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if a news story is fake?
Run six quick checks: is the source named, can you follow a link to the original, does the article actually support the headline, is it engineered to make you angry, what is the date, and is anyone else reporting it. If it fails several of these, be very cautious about believing or sharing it.
What is the fastest way to check a headline?
Look for a named source and a link to the original reporting. If a big claim has neither, that alone is enough to slow down and verify before you share.
Why does fake news spread so fast?
Because it is designed to trigger strong emotion, and angry or frightened people share before they check. Recognising that emotional pull is one of the best defences against it.
Is there a way to practise spotting fake news?
Yes. InSnip has a free daily game called Signal or Noise where you pick the real headline from a lineup, with no login needed. It is a quick, fun way to train the habit.
How does InSnip help with misinformation?
Every InSnip story names and links its original source and shows a transparent Signal Score, so you can check any claim in one tap instead of trusting a headline. It is Australia-first and free to read.
