Richland County Library program to combat “Fake News”

COLUMBIA,SC (WOLO)- The Richland County library is using a new program they say will help users spot fake news while surfing the internet.

The program is called NewsGuard. Here’s how it works. Once you search for a topic in your browser, a shield will pop up next to the media outlets name. By hovering over the shield NewsGuard will break down the articles credibility and transparency.

“This way you can tell whether its a balanced and fair source instead of one that tends to swing one way or the other or tends to publish false information,” Chantal Wilson, a research and advisory manager with Richland County Library said.

NewsGuard works on social media platforms as well, which is where some studies show misinformation is spread, or as some like to call it, fake news.

“The term fake news gets thrown around by a lot of different people and I think it’s been thrown around so much people start to drown it out and not pay attention to it, Wilson said.

The articles are rated and reviewed by a team of journalist.

“The fact of the matter is you make a lot of different decisions in life based off the information that you come across, whether it’s online or in print and it’s really important for you to know what’s truthful and what’s not,” Wilson said.

NewsGuard has been installed in computers in all Richland County libraries. You can download the program on your personal computer for free for a limited time.