Where's it coming from? What's missing? How do you feel? These are the three questions that Facebook recommends to all users to ask themselves before sharing news. The initiative is part of the fight against fake news undertaken by Mark Zuckerberg's popular social network which - during the pandemic - has also intensified its efforts to contain the spread of buffaloes, not only on Facebook itself, but also on apps like WhatsApp and Instagram. The aim of this new initiative is to raise users' awareness of the issue and provide simple tools to make informed decisions.
For Facebook, therefore, there are three main questions to be asked in order to be fully aware of what we are sharing. Remember that the problem is not only about false news, but also about news filmed after a long time totally out of context. News that, even if verified, can contribute to create a distorted image of reality.
The first question "Where does it come from?" invites the user to inquire about the source. Facebook recommends to collect information about the source if you do not know it, to search for it if it is not explicitly mentioned and to pay attention to details such as web address, presence of grammatical and lexical errors in the text, graphic aspect of the article, etc..
The question "What's missing?" should push the user to go beyond the title instead. Reading the entire article in fact provides more information and elements, but we know that often many people stop at the title, forming a judgment, often incorrect or misleading, exclusively based on it. The invitation is also to check what other sources and official services report.
The third step, "How do you feel?", is finally about emotions. Facebook remembers how those who build false news try to manipulate the emotions of users, arousing anger, indignation and concern but also hope (as in the case of miraculous cures for this or that disease). It is also necessary to analyze satirical elements (which often may not be understood) in order to understand if it is satire or true news.