From FactCheck.org:
- Consider the source. Is it well-known and reputable?
- Read beyond the headline. Headlines are designed to grab your attention, but they don't tell the whole story.
- Check the author. Who are they and what are their credentials?
- What's the support? Check the article's references and sources of information.
- Check the date. Is the article current or is the information older that it seems to be at first glance?
- Is this some kind of joke? Sometimes works of satire can look like actual news, but they're not.
- Check your biases. "Confirmation bias" makes us more likely to believe information that confirms what we already think is true, so try to notice this and remain skeptical until you confirm new information.
- Consult the experts. Use reliable sites like FactCheck.org, Snopes.com, The Washington Post Fact Checker and PolitiFact.com to see if something you've heard is true.
From the American Press Institute:
- What kind of content is this? News, opinion, advertising, or something else?
- Who and what are the sources cited, and why should we believe them?
- What's the evidence and how was it vetted?
- Is the main point, or conclusion of the piece, supported by the evidence given?
- What's missing or unknown, and does the author address this?
- What have you learned from this and other media you read or watched?
These concepts, from Media Smarts, will help you understand how news stories and media are created and how they affect all of us who read or view them:
- Media are constructions.
- Media have commercial implications.
- Media have social and political implications.
- Audiences negotiate meaning.
- Each medium has a unique aesthetic form.
- Digital media are networked.
- Digital media are shareable and persistent.
- Digital media have unexpected audiences.
- Interactions through digital media have real impact.
- Digital media experiences are shaped by the tools we use.
