Approaches to Identify Fake News in Health and Medical Articles
While many definitions encompass the broader phenomenon of fake news (Fake-news, n.d.a; Fake-news, n.d.b; Molina et al., 2021; Wu et al., 2019), various checks can be used to detect fake news in health and medical reporting (Treharne & Papanikitas, 2020). There are four areas of validation that can help identify fake news stories. First, the news story should be searched on the media publication’s official site or, if available, in the hardcopy newspaper to verify its authenticity from the original source. Second, the reader should check to see if the content in question appears on other reputable websites. This is referred to as “scope of coverage.” Third, fact-checking sites, such as Snopes.com and Factcheck.org, which list current fake news stories, should be consulted. Finally, a generic search of the publication title should be conducted to see if the news item is from a parody publication (Treharne & Papanikitas, 2020).
In Thailand, the Antifakenewscenter.com website is maintained by the Anti-Fake News Center managed by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES, n.d.a). This agency collects news on various topics, verifies their content as fake news (or not), and then publishes them on the website. The agency aims to help people become aware of fake news and helps prevent the spread of fake news (MDES, n.d.a). The center labels the types of fake news that have a wide impact, because fake news directly affects people's lives and assets, creates social divisions and misconceptions about society, and destroys the image of the country (Shu et al., 2017).
Figure 1 illustrates an example of a health and medical fake news article from the Anti-Fake News Thailand website. The title, “Lime Soda Cures Cancer,” went viral on social media. Articles in Thailand are popular for educating people on cures for various diseases. If the published articles are unreliable, they may harm people reading them because an unsuitable diet has a negative impact on the body. Vegetables, fruits, and herbs are frequently used to treat various diseases. In addition, unreliable articles often refer to specific diseases such as cancer, diseases of the brain, and other organs.
Figure 1. Typical Fake News Article: The Title Translates As “Lime Soda Cures Cancer,” Taken From the Government Anti-Fake News Center (MDES, n.d.b)