Do not immediately believe the title. Fake news stories often have interesting titles written in capital letters and with exclamation points. If the title seems to be surprising and unreliable, then it probably is.
Note the news URL address. A fake or created URL address similar to the original can be a warning that the news is fake. Many fake news sites pretend to be authentic news sites with little change of URL address. You can go to the site to compare its URL address with a trusted source.
Investigate the source. Make sure the news is written by a source that you believe has a reputation of good accuracy. If the news comes from an unknown organization, read the "About" section of their site to learn more.
Observe if any formatting is not fair. Many fake news sites have misspellings or awkward layouts. Read carefully to see these signs.
Check the picture. Fake news news often contains manipulated images or videos. Sometimes the photo is authentic, but the context is different. You can browse through the photo or image to find out where it came from.
Check the date. Fake news reports may contain unreasonable timelines, or event dates that have been changed.
Check the proof. Check the author's source to confirm the accuracy. Lack of evidence or reliance on unnamed experts can indicate false news.
View more reports. If no other news source reports the same story, it may indicate that the news is false. If the news is reported by some sources you trust, then the news is probably true.
Is the news just a joke? Sometimes fake news is difficult to distinguish from humor or satire. Check whether the source is a regular parody, and whether the details of the story and tone indicate that the news is just a joke.
Some news was deliberately falsified. Think critically about the news you read, and only share the news that you know can be trusted.