Don't believe that 'Aretha Franklin is dead' tweet

The daily lesson on debunking fake news is from the textbook on verification.

Take this tweet, which went viral early this morning and is still live:

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Fans on social media were literally freaking out. It didn't help that the fake Twitter account had the same profile and cover pictures of the official Aretha Franklin one, along with the description and link to her latest album:

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However, there are several red flags which should immediately raise suspicion:

1. The account was created in November 2017

2. It has only 35 followers

3. It's not verified by Twitter's blue badge (unlike the official one)

4. Aretha Franklin's name is mispelled

5. Phrasing of the tweet is clumsy

6. All caps is not customary

That should be enough in order to debunk the tweet, but TV host Shaun Robinson tweeted a personal message from Franklin to put all the rumours to rest:

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Rumours around Franklin's health have been swirling on social media after the artist announced in February she was retiring from music.