We’ve all done it, we’ve clicked on a link through social media and been taken by a story. It’s ok, it happens to the best of us! In fact, some sites run their whole business on “news” that is really just made up nonsense. Before you hit share, drop that link into Real or Satire, the site that will let you know if you’re looking at a trusted news source or not.
There are some sites, like The Onion, that are well known satire but other sites that are lesser known sometimes slip past the radar and can end up being shared widely as real, even when they’re not at all. For instance, there are some celebrities that are reported dead yearly but are alive and well. Their deaths are made up by these untrustworthy sites.
You can also help by submitting sites directly to their database for them to check out. New satire sites are popping up daily (that ad revenue is sweet) but there are also new legitimate media outlets coming to light as well. You can check that unfamiliar URL right on the website.