James Alefantis and his family fell victim to fake news after Edgar Welsh had bombarded their mom and pop pizzeria in Washington D.C. Welsh had read online that the Ping Pong Comet Pizzeria was harboring children sex slaves as part of a sex ring ran by Hillary Clinton. Without checking the source to see if the information was reliable, he drove six hours to the restaurant where he fired handguns and an AR-15 into the ceiling. He was later apprehended without harming anyone. Welsh was totally to blame for his reaction to the news, however he is not to blame for his information. His sense of blind vigilante justice negatively impacted others.

Fake news has plagued social media and the internet, causing a culture of questioning in a society that craves information. So in order to avoid another Welsh-Alefantis situation, it is important to know how to distinguish fake news from actual facts. Here are some tips and tricks to make sure you are getting to most accurate information possible.

• Fact Check- If there is a piece of information that seems fishy there are reliable websites where you can check that information. www.factcheck.org, www.snopes.com and www.politifact.com are excellent sources.
• Avoid News on Social Media- Fake news spreads rapidly across social media because all it takes is a few clicks to claim that “Hillary Clinton was Eaten by an Alligator.” Social media acts as a catalyst for ideas, even if they are the wrong ones.
• Vary your Sources- This one is less about fake new, but getting the most accurate education possible. All sources probably have some sort of slant, even if they are credible. For every FOX article you should read MSNBC, because the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.
• Make Sure your Sources are Credible- Use that are renowned for their accuracy and truthfulness. Most large sources tend to be credible because they can’t afford to be wrong. Smaller sources that you may not have heard of before have more of a chance of incorrect information.
• Avoid Tabloids and Blogs- These sources will say anything for you to click on their link or buy a copy. For these sources, it’s all about getting money, so they will do anything so their page gets a view. This is probably the source that Welsh fell victim to.

Distinguishing fake new only takes some common sense and detective work. Although, it does makes a world of difference when you are applying what you learned. It is important to stay educated, especially with the political chaos going on right now. Just make sure you have the right information.