Subtle tells for fake news

When I started as an editor, the only things that looked like news articles were news articles. You could rest assured that the people who wrote and edited them were journalists whose job was to follow a very specific, regimented procedure called journalism.

Those days are gone. Now, even savvy news consumers find it hard to know whether they’re reading quality information produced exclusively for readers’ benefit or something with an agenda.

The agendas may not be nefarious. They may not even be hidden. Sponsored content, for example, is clearly labeled (or it should be) and may contain real value for the reader as incentive to sit through the sales pitch. Think: an article like “10 Fun Things to Do in Austin” sponsored by just one of those things, like a concert venue, or by the local visitors bureau.

But most not-really-journalism articles are much worse — everything from deliberate spin and sensationalist clickbait to scams and foreign propaganda.

In all those years of editing, I learned a few subtle tells of (let’s call it) fake news. Here are a few red flags to look out for.

Facts reported in quotations. “Peptides are short chains of amino acids,” said Dr. Murray. Writers who aren’t experienced journalists see nothing wrong with a quote like this. But real reporters understand their job is to verify facts and stand behind them — not palm off this responsibility onto a speaker. Quotations are for opinions, reactions, unique insights and facts that can’t be attributed to a better source. “Our research has shown peptides may do such and such thing. It’s remarkable,” Murray said.

Titles capitalized — or there at all. I attributed the last quotation to just Murray, not Dr. Murray. That’s because journalism outlets aren’t keen on using titles. “Dr.” is unpopular with a lot of news styles, which prefer to give a clearer explanation of a doctor’s credentials: Alicia Murray, a pediatrician at St. Larry’s Hospital. Business titles are usually lowercase in real news: “said Moneybank vice president Jeff Reed.” 

Poor use of single quotation marks. Most writers I've worked with haven't fully mastered the use of single quote marks. Most editors I've worked with have. So a writer will put single quote marks around a word they're calling attention to, like 'boomer,' and an editor will change it to "boomer." When you see single quote marks used this way, it often means you're looking at an article that didn't come from real news pros. Similarly, professionals know that the punctuation here is wrong: “He turned around when Kim yelled ‘ouch’.” The period goes before the single quote mark, not after.

Initials in parentheses. This one is far from universal. Some quality publications including magazines write: The Association of Retired Tuba Players (APTP). But most news organizations observe this Associated Press Stylebook rule: “Do not follow an organization’s full name with an abbreviation or acronym in parentheses or set off by dashes. If an abbreviation or acronym would not be clear on second reference without this arrangement, do not use it.”

Dashes in ranges. Forget what you've heard about dashes being a sign of AI writing. There’s no basis for that. But dashes in number ranges can be a clear sign you're not reading professional journalism. “Children ages 5–8 are admitted free.” Many journalism outlets are steeped in a tradition of using words instead: “5 to 8.” The dash is especially telling when a number range is preceded by the word " between,” which logically pairs with “and,” as in “between 5 and 8 years old.” Even if you could argue that a dash can represent the word “to” in 5–8, in no circumstance does it mean “and.”

Present tense speech tags and fancy speech tags. Speech tags, or quotation attributions, are terms like “the mayor said.” Many news agencies prefer this past-tense approach to alternatives like “says the mayor.” And when “said” is replaced by a fancier word like “enthused” or “reflected,” that’s a red flag, too.

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