Disinformation has always been a thing, but with the rise of social media and the globe pile driving  itself through a post-truth world era, it is ever increasing.

It is a fact that each and every one of us has ‘fallen’ for fake news. Whether published on a website or posted on social media, there is no escaping it.

Human’s (myself included, this isn’t a lecture) have an instinctive need to have their views and opinions massaged – and the news content we consume is the best way to meet this requirement.

We also generally trust that journalists and reporters are being honest. (I’m aware a lot of people don’t but you get my point.)

As a journalist, it is my job to be as objective as possible and I think I do a good job, but I still find people in my comments think I am taking a political position on a topic. That isn’t because I’m pitching for one politician over another – it is because that article didn’t align with their political beliefs.

This is what is called a post-truth world. Some argue we aren’t in one, I take the view that we undoubtedly are.

The term ‘post-truth world’ is where objective facts and expert consensus are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion, personal belief, and opinion.

It does not mean truth has ceased to exist, but that it is often ignored or deemed less relevant to political or social debate.

Energy is at the heart of this. Net zero being a scam, climate change denial, the opinion that clean energy won’t reduce bills or that the UK hasn’t reduced its territorial greenhouse gas emissions by 85% are just a few examples of how people’s opinion can cloud facts that state otherwise on all the aforementioned statements.

Tip one: Take a moment.

This brings me to tip one.

Disinformation has been specifically curated to cause visceral reactions from readers and viewers alike.

Try and take a minute after consuming media to think rationally about a specific issue. I often find myself rapidly retweeting or commenting on a thread immediately after reading something I agree or disagree with.

Overt fake news has been designed to be engaged with on a wide scale, popularly renamed as rage bait. It feels like a cliché tip for one of these articles but it is important.

Tip two: Research more widely

In the time where you’re taking a breather it is always good to use that time to research a topic more widely. Despite an ever growing polarised world, most key issues are actually more nuanced and a centred (dare I say centrist) approach to complex issues always helps.

This can be done through a simple Google, or by engaging in media outside your usual readership. If you read the Daily Mail, try the Guardian for the same topic. It really helps widen your standpoint – it probably won’t change your mind but it is a useful exercise.

Tip three: beware of ‘independent journalists’

This feels like shooting myself in the foot, I write for an independent media company (albeit part of the mammoth DC Thomson family), but you’ve really got to be careful of independent journalist posers.

Most are great, we tackle the stories bigger firms don’t always go for. But people like Tommy Robinson pose as independent journalists. Instead, they deliberately position stories to fit their agenda. Owen Jones is the left wing version of this.

These guys aren’t journalists – they’re activists and the two shouldn’t be conflated.

Tip four: Stop thinking it is a far right issue

I see a lot of people on social media calling people out for falling for fake news. Idiots, knuckle draggers, insert any insult here and it has been used.

I also see a lot of people labelling this as a far right issue. That’s wrong. I guarantee each and every one of us has fallen for fake news. It also isn’t an education gap either.

In all these instances, we are victims of disinformation not agitators. Tackling fake news is a collective mission and people fighting each other is exactly what the disinformation pilots want and we all consistently fall into its trap.

Tip five: fake news can also blend in

I know I said fake news attempts to get a visceral response from us – and it often does. But it can also be more covert.

Everyone assumes news has been fact checked, and people generally trust what they have been told on TV and in the newspaper on this basis, and that is a fair assessment.

People naturally take professionals word for it – think doctors, teachers and vets.

To put this into context, most people reading this will assume I am an ‘expert’ on energy and take my earlier statement on greenhouse gas reduction as a fact.

The UK hasn’t reduced its territorial greenhouse gas emissions by 85% – it is more like 51% compared to 90’s level.

Small pockets of fake news are often drip fed (just as I did) over a series of months and years before becoming more overt when opinion has been swayed.

I really tried not to reference Star Wars in this piece, but Palpatine didn’t wake up one day and form the Empire, it took years of separatist movement and persuasion. The series Andor really highlights how the media helped legitimise the Empire’s actions.