Special Report: Beware of Fake News

From Pope Francis endorsing Donald Trump for President to a Hillary Clinton supporter running down her husband for voting for Trump, this election season was ripe with false news headlines.

In this special report, we look at what's fueling those flames and how popular social media sites are fighting back.

In journalism, the truth is tantamount to trust. But in a hyper-segmented world of online news sharing, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction.

Action News went on the streets of Philadelphia to ask, 'Where do you get the majority of your news?'

"I would say mostly from Facebook," said Lisa Sadowski of Northeast Philadelphia.

Frank Causey of Willow Grove agreed, "Actually yes, Facebook."

"I'm always on Facebook, always," said Cindy Sulpizio of Philadelphia's Rhawnhurst section.

Avi Silverberg of Warminster, Pennsylvania said, "Mostly Google News."

And they are not alone. A survey done by the Pew Research Center reveals 62% of adults in the U.S. get news on social media, particularly Facebook.

But as we found with this election season, not all the news stories making headlines are real.

"There are things going around on Facebook, Twitter, all of that, that's definitely like 'why are you posting this?' It's false," said Kaylee Colelli of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.

Phony headlines can be enticing, with some even saying it swayed the election in Donald Trump's favor.

"We have hundreds, thousands, millions, infinite sources of information coming from everywhere," said Geoffrey Baym of Temple University.

That is why it can be so hard to decipher what is real and what is fake.

Example Headlines:

All of the examples are salacious and all are fake news.

A few days after the election, a Twitter user sent Action News a video clip claiming it showed black men beating up a white man who voted for Trump.

Some had assumed this took place in Philadelphia, and implored the station to expose the assault. The incident actually happened in Chicago and stemmed from an argument over a car crash.

"I think we all have to be critical thinkers," said Baym. "Posts can move incredibly quickly."

The seriousness of the issue even caused comment from President Barack Obama.

"If we can't discriminate between serious arguments and propaganda then we have problems," Obama said.

Action News reached out to Facebook and Google, and both companies said they are taking steps to address the problem of fake news sites spreading misinformation. The internet giants plan to ban phony news sites from purchasing lucrative display ads, unless the sites publish facts.

"They've discovered that this platform is being used for purposes that don't fit the way they envisioned the site working," said Baym.

In the meantime, you need to do your homework. We have posted a partial list to watch for at the end of this article.

"You just have to double check what you are reading because everything on the internet is definitely not valid," said Colelli.

Feel free to discuss this topic further on Matt O'Donnell's Facebook page.

ONLINE:

Fake News Watch

USA Today College - Viral List of Fake News Sites

Indy 100 from Independent - Professor Makes a List of 'Fake' or 'Misleading' News Websites

Newsy - Don't be Fooled by Fake News on Facebook

Melissa Zimdars, assistant professor of Media and Communications at Merrimack College, collected these websites she deemed "false, misleading, clickbait-y, and/or satirical news sources:"

100PercentFedUp.com

EnduringVision.com

PakAlertPress.com

21stCenturyWire.com

FPRNradio.com

PoliticalBlindSpot.com

70news.wordpress.com

The Free Thought Project

PoliticalEars.com

Abcnews.com.co

GeoEngineeringWatch.org

Politicalo

ActivistPost.com

PoliticusUSA

Addicting Info

GovtSlaves.info

PrisonPlanet.com

AmericanNews.com

GulagBound.com

PrisonPlanet.tv

AnonNews.co

HangTheBankers.com

Associated Media Coverage

HumansAreFree.com

ProjectVeritas

BeforeItsNews.com

Being Liberal

IfYouOnlyNews

React 365

BigAmericanNews.com

Indecision Forever

RealFarmacy.com

BigPZone.com

IJR (Independent Journal Review)

Bipartisan Report

InfoWars

RedFlagNews.com

BizPac Review

Infowars.com

Red State (3)

Blue Nation Review

IntelliHub.com

Breitbart

Inquisitor.com

JonesReport.com

Satira Tribune

LewRockwell.com

Chronicle.su

Liberal America

The Blaze

CivicTribune.com

LibertyTalk.fm

The Free Thought Project

LibertyUnyielding

CoastToCoastAM.com

LibertyVideos.org

CollectiveEvolution

LMR/LibertyMovementRadio.com

The Other 98%

ConsciousLifeNews.com

MediaMass.net

The Reporterz

ConservativeOutfitters.com

MegynKelly.us

The Stately Harold

ConspiracyWire (WideAwakeAmerica.com)

MSNBC.com.co

TheDailySheeple.com

CountdownToZeroTime.com

MSNBC.website

TheNewsNerd.com

CounterPsyOps.com

TheRunDownLive.com

National Report

TheUsPatriot.com

CreamBMP.com

NationalReport.net

TruthFrequencyRadio.com

DailyBuzzLive.com

NaturalNews.com

Twitchy.com

DailyCurrant.com

NC Scooper

UnconfirmedSources.com

NCT (New Century Times)

Daily Wire

News Examiner

USA Supreme

DCClothesLine.com

News-Hound.com

US.Blasting.News

DCGazette.com

NewsBiscuit.com

US Uncut

DerfMagazine.com

VeteransToday.com

Disclose.tv

DrudgeReport.com.co

Newswatch 28

WakingUpWisconsin.com

Newswatch 33

Winning Democrats

DuhProgressive.com

NewsWire-24.com

WitScience.org

Embols.com

NoDisInfo.com

World Net Daily

Empire Herald

Now8News

Empire News

NowTheEndBegins.com

WorldTruth.tv

EmpireNews.com

Occupy Democrats

ZeroHedge

Endingthefed.com