2 weeks Ago By John Nieves
As the 2025 Philippine midterm elections approach, it’s increasingly evident on Facebook – there are so much fake news, troll accounts, and disinformation floating around, not just from the candidates themselves, but apparently from alleged state actors as well.READ MORE:How to Use the 2025 COMELEC Precinct FinderIt’s never been as important as now to learn how to discern real VS fake news, as well as know when you’re dealing with paid trolls that are out to mess up our democratic process. But like many things in life, once you learn to spot the signs of fake news and trollish behavior it becomes second nature whenever you’re on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Reddit or whatever social media site you visit.
Let’s start with fake news and how you can spot them:Check the source Always check the source of the news that you’re sharing or reading, even if it conforms to your political leaning or worldview. Verify if the account or outlet is reputable. Look for established news organizations with a track record or official accounts of individuals.
Unknown or recently created accounts, news publications, and unverified accounts of news organizations posing as the real deal are huge red flags. Cross check that story with other platforms, or better, to primary sources like government websites, websites of the personalities being talked about in the post (if any), organizations involved, etc. If there’s only one outlet reporting it (and that outlet is someone you’ve never heard of) it might be fake.
Analyze the contentFake news primarily relies on emotions to drive its virality. Be wary of any post that has strong language that provokes you to share content on social media. Headlines with “SHOCKING”, “YOU WON’T BELIEVE THIS” or similar are most certainly made for virality and to share fake news.
Confirm dates and timelines. Fake news often recycles old stories or misrepresents events.Check photos as well, fake news peddlers, for example,e will use a photo that has thousands and thousands of people and claim that it supports a certain candidate when it’s in fact an unrelated event.
The best way to do this is via reverse Google image search.Spotting trolls are a little bit harder, since many of them usually lock down their Facebook account which makes checking their activity difficult. But many of the tips we’re sharing here can be applied on other platforms like Instagram, Reddit, X and more.
How to spot trolls: Check their profile. Low friend count, newly created accounts, photos of celebrities or anime profile photos are red flags for troll accounts. Trolls are there to derail actual useful conversations and to spread certain narratives.
One surefire way to check if these posts are actually real or is part of a troll campaign is to copy and paste the statement on Facebook’s search bar. If it’s being repeated by multiple accounts verbatim, it’s probably fake. Trolls thrive on reactions, both positive and negative.
The fastest way to spot a troll is to see if they’re only posting to get reactions. They typically are not there to inform, they’re there to disrupt and to shut down any kind of civil discourse.Spotting fake news and trolls on social media means staying vigilant, verifying sources, and questioning intent.
As a general rule, if you see a post that triggers a strong emotion, take a beat and wait. Check if it’s real or if it’s someone that’s in a Makati office somewhere trying to manipulate you. Always verify news, and if you fall for fake news or share something that’s not true, remember, there’s no shame in admitting you fell for it and deleting it later.
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