For those who are still unsure, the 71-year old Sylvester Stallone is alive and he even tweeted on Monday 19th February, "Alive and well and happy and healthy...Still punching!" The Rocky Balboa actor was annoyed and surprised when news surfaced online recently that he had died. But, Kenyan celebrities have also been through this emotional trauma. Who are these vile people that wish others dead? But the other question is, why are we quick to trust all news on social media?
  1. Be keen on hashtags
Jumping into trending topics to express your opinion without finding out the core of the news is wrong. When #RIPSylvesterStallone was trending, there were users who were already suspicious of the news. Kenyan celebrities such as Jaguar and Churchill have also been pre-maturely killed online with those same hashtags. Always follow threads of hashtags to ascertain their truthfulness before wishing them a 'good rest' in their 'afterlife'.
  1. Check the sources of news
There are thousands of illegitimate websites out there that are out to spread malicious stories. Kenya has thousands of blogs that run on click bait. The most popular case was that of comedian Churchill whose fake death was run by a blog. On clicking it, there was only attached an image of an accident and Churchill's image with just few words saying he had died. No statement from the police, no statement from Churchill's family, no statement from the company he works for. That should ring alarms of doubt.
  1. Beware of Screenshots
At times, you will see 'screenshots' of news from a known publication or media house. But with Photoshop, anything can easily be manipulated to appear as if it's been reported by that said media house. Have you clicked the link to confirm that story? Have you confirmed with other legitimate sources online?
Don't be a perpetrator of fake news. Stay vigilant online.
 

About The Author

Author
Omani Joy

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