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News Sources: Evaluating News Sources

Types of Fake News

Satire 

assumes the appearance of news as a form of humor
Examples: The Onion, The Daily Show

satirical image designed to look like a live broadcast: Breaking News: Google bans cat pics on the internet!
Image credit: Nathan Davidson, World Wide Interweb, July 10, 2017

Misinformation

presents inaccurate or incomplete information in one or more of the following forms:

Clickbait

sensationalizes a topic for increased attention

"One weird trick to stop bad moods"

"The shocking truth about how social media is rewiring your brain"

Propaganda or bias

supports a particular point of view or obscures responsibility

Examples of different kinds of bias in the news (University of Washington Libraries)

Disinformation, hoax, or deepfake

deliberately misleads people

Fake Print Editions of Washington Post Distributed in Washington, D. C. | Snopes

A deepfake ‘Joe Biden’ robocall told voters to stay home for primary election | Popular Science

How did you encounter it?

Ask yourself, "Why am I seeing this now?" Did you seek it out? Did someone you know and trust share it? Be skeptical of sponsored and promoted content that may show up in social media feeds and search results.

How does it make you feel?

Consider the headline or main message. Does it make you angry or afraid, or does it seem too good to be true? If so, look for other sources to make sure you aren't being provoked by misleading information.

When was it created?

Real stories and images from the past can become misinformation when they are recirculated in the present, especially as memes. Make sure you know their real context.

Who is responsible for it?

Can you identify the author or publisher? Search their names to learn more about them and their reputations. This strategy can help you recognize satirical stories, as well as those created to reinforce a biased worldview. Be skeptical of stories and images that are shared without attribution.

Does it seem accurate?

Does it back up claims with data, quotes from experts, or links to credible sources? Does it contain obvious errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation? Be skeptical of news that seems rushed and carelessly produced. 

Do other sources agree?

Check other news sources that you trust to see if they have published similar stories. This verification technique is called lateral reading. If many reputable news outlets have verified and shared the information, you can trust that the information is credible.

Has it been fact-checked?

Look up the story on some of the fact-checking websites listed on the Skills and Strategies page. If more than one fact-checking site has investigated the story and found it to be true, partly true, or totally false, you can trust their judgment.

News vs. Opinion

Be aware that newspapers and other news sources publish both news stories and opinion pieces.

  • News stories report the facts about current issues and events.
  • Opinion pieces called op-eds represent a particular author's opinions and analysis related to issues and events.
  • Opinion pieces called editorials represent the opinions of the publication's editors or publishers.

More about Websites

  • Assess the design. Fake news sites often look amateurish, have lots of annoying ads, and use altered or stolen images.
  • Check the web domain. Unusual domains like ".com.co" or ".lo" may indicate fake news sites.
  • Look for an "About Us" page. A credible news site will provide contact information and names of editors and staff writers.

Not sure about a news source?

Try looking up the newspaper, magazine or site in Wikipedia to learn about its mission, history, and any controversies.

Visit the library's News Sources guide to learn more.