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Summary
- Almost every online portal in the world is teeming with coronavirus news. However, not all pf them are entirely correct.
- Some of the most accurate websites concerning COVID-19 are WHO, Worldometer Live, and Johns Hopkins University and Medicine.
The coronavirus pandemic, besides having unleashed the worst health crisis in a century, also went on to prove how powerful media and fake news could be.
False information regarding the novel coronavirus began to spread like wildfires, forcing Twitter, Facebook, and other social media behemoths to issue warnings and take down some of the posts online.
Consequently, many realised that their media literacy had not been shaped in the best possible way. Fake news is one of the most significant problems of this day and age, so the readers need to understand how to tell right from wrong.
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How to spot the fake news in a sea of articles?
First and foremost, everyone needs to find a trustworthy source of information. There are many acclaimed newspapers and online portals that are doing an excellent job of staying true to facts.
If in doubt about such portals, one should refer to the public service media, such as ABC and SBS in Australia, or BBC in the UK.
However, some fake news articles may be using false logos from widely known web sites. Luckily, there is a handy solution to spot that problem – the web site domain.
Most, if not all, accurate web sites use the .com domain, whereas fake online portals cannot afford that kind of online service. As a result, their web site name will not include the broadly used domain, but rather a made-up one that sticks out. Many online services can generate and provide a fake web site name within a few moments.
The last but not the least, if the content is replete with numerous grammar mistakes, and if the names of the interviewees are not mentioned, there is a high chance that the news might be misleading. When famous newspapers and portals interview someone directly, they provide the name of the source, adding to the credibility of the content.
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What are the most accurate web sites that provide information about COVID-19?
As coronavirus is covered by a lot of breaking news and current affairs all over the globe, it might be challenging to find a genuinely accurate source. However, there are a few web sites that are, undoubtedly, factual.
WHO official web site
World Health Organisation (WHO) may be the most reliable source when it comes to the coronavirus-related news.
The health enterprise is leading the sector, bringing official and thoroughly checked data about the novel virus. The WHO website offers insight into the number of cases for each country, death toll, and details about transmission type.
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Worldometer Live
Worldometer is one of the most user-friendly websites, that offers almost real-time information regarding COVID-19.
The online tracker provides numbers that are straight to the point, with more detailed information and additional links at the bottom of the page.
John Hopkins University and Medicine
John Hopkins University and Medicine was quick to act even when the virus had not been established as pandemic.
Within a short span of three days, it swung to action and came up with a COVID-19 dashboard which had a whole array of information, including interactive maps. John Hopkins might have one of the most authentic and attractive webpages, as it shows all hotspots, graphs, and most accurate number of COVID-19 cases.
