A journalism professor at Carleton University says people must be picky about news sources they trust.
Glammis native Allan Thompson worked for 17 years at the Toronto Star, including ten years as a correspondent at Parliament Hill.
He says people clicking on material from organizations they are unfamiliar with should be aware of the motives someone would have for posting it, especially if it seems inflammatory or misleading in any way.
Thompson says the writer's style is often a good indicator, noting the writing is often of low quality and lacks journalistic integrity. However, he says they make a few cents every time someone clicks on one of their links.
The "fake news" problem is so bad in North Huron that Reeve Neil Vincent paused Monday's council meeting to encourage fellow councillors to communicate with each other if they see falsely-attributed statements on social media sites.
This was in response to a Blyth-area blog and email, attributing misleading material to Councilor Bill Knott.
Allan Thompson, Journalism Professor, Carleton University (photo by Bob Montgomery)