Are there any typos or other errors in the content? You will often find fake news sites will contain a lot of typos and grammatical errors on the site and URL.Fake news sites will often take you to spam sites or irrelevant sites that are not related. What other sites does it link to? Take a look around the site to see where the links take you next.Can you find it on a reputable site? Try and look around to find other trusted sources that have written about it to see if it checks out when compared side by side.Does it make you feel something (angry, happy, sad?) Fake news is often written to trigger an emotional response in people because that makes them more likely to engage with or share it.

Does it promote a particular viewpoint? Sometimes it can be easier to believe something if we agree with the beliefs that are promoted in the content so it’s important to not take things at face value even if we agree with them.

Is it trying to sell you something, or push a particular point of view? This could give you an idea around the intent behind the content. To spot them you’ll usually see an “Ad” tag next to the image or on the image.

Is this a promoted or paid piece of content? At times promoted ads at the bottom of reputable sites can be used to spread fake news.

Who is it written for? If you can work out who it’s written for it can give you a better idea of the intentions behind what is being shared, whether it’s seen as a joke or a more formal piece of news.Who wrote it? You can check the author on the page or go to the about us or contact pages to see who is the person or the organisation that have a Google search to see what else you can learn about this person or organisation from other sources to check if they are who they say they are.Here are some questions children and young people can ask themselves to determine if something is real or fake: and are just some recommended sites that you can use. There are also numerous fact-checking sites. Anyone can present themselves as a news source these days, but it is not hard to check online and see if they really are reputable.

Digital defender of childeren