False Information:

False information is the umbrella term that is used to refer to information that is untrue or inaccurate. There are three broad terms underneath false information that are misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.  Misinformation is for information that is false or inaccurate.  Disinformation is false information that is deliberately intends to mislead or harm the reader or viewer.  Malinformation is genuine information that is based on fact but used out of context to mislead, harm or manipulate the reader or viewer.  

There are eight types of specific false information as classified by the United Nations: Fabricated content: information that's 100% false.  Often used to mislead others for financial or political gain, closely related to "fake news". 
Manipulated content: genuine information that has been distorted out of its original context, sensationalist or clickbait headlines. 
Imposter content: the impersonation of genuine sources.  It is when someone pretends to be an established brand or establishment and posts/publishes content.  
Misleading content: information that is misleading to the reader overall.  It is when the writer or editor's comments or opinions are presented as fact. 
False context: factually accurate information or content that is combined with false contextual information.  Essentially a mismatching headline and actual content. 
Satire and parody: when the headlines, captions, or visuals don't support the content within, similar to false context. 
False connections: funny, fake stories passed off as true.  There's no intention to harm, but readers or viewers may be confused or mislead. 
Sponsored content: passing off advertising or public relations opinion as fact.  Became more prevalent with social media and influencers.  They're being paid to say it, but don't always disclose that they're being compensated.  
Propaganda: information and content that is used to manage the opinions, values, attitudes, and knowledge of other people. 
Error in media: a mistake that is made by established news agencies in their reporting.  Usually not intended to mislead or harm viewers or readers, and is just an honest mistake but it does do harm to their reputation. 

There are numerous ways to deal with false information: Consider the source 
Read beyond 
Check the author 
Are there supporting sources? 
Check the date 
Is it a joke? 
Check your own biases 
Ask the experts 
However if eight steps are too many to remember, you can always remember to S.I.F.T.: Stop: false information relied on immediacy.  When we take a beat and stop, we fall less prey to false information.  Don't comment or share the post, move onto step two. 
Investigate the source: ask who created the post, get off the platform and do a search.  A popular source is actually Wikipedia, because it's crowdsources it's able to span controversies and biases. 
Find better coverage: check to see if reputable news outlets have covered the same stories.  Use Google Fact-Checking or reverse image sourcing to get to the bottom of the story.  
Trace the claim to its original context: even if the story has been reported on by a new outlet it may not be original reporting.  Check to see the sourcing linked to the articles, or laterally search for the story yourself. 