Fact-checking websites can help you investigate claims to help you determine whether what you hear or read is true. These resources can help you determine the legitimacy of a claim, but even fact-checking websites should be examined critically.
This site, which has operated since 1995, fact-checks urban legends, rumors, and news
A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center that checks the accuracy of political statements, news, and claims
Run by the Tampa Bay Times (which is owned by journalism school the Poynter Institute), this site checks and ranks political claims
The Poynter Institute serves as the world’s leading resource for journalists to engage and inform the public in democratic societies.
Aims to call biased or deceptive news and media practices
Fact checks political and governmental topics
This professional networking site can be used to check the qualifications and expertise of authors
Fake News is information that cannot be verified, without sources, and possibly untrue. The topic of fake news is as old as the news industry itself—misinformation, hoaxes, propaganda, and satire have long been in existence.
While fake news can take many forms, there are several broad types.
There is fake news written for profit and then shared on social media among targeted groups of people who want to believe that it is true. The intention is for the fake news to spread without readers taking the time to properly verify it. This type of fake news is untrue news.
A news headline may read one way or state something as fact, but then the body of the article says something different. The Internet term for this type of misleading fake news is “clickbait”—headlines that catch a reader’s attention to make them click on the fake news. This type of fake news is misleading at best and dishonest at worst.
Social media’s ability to show a large number of news items in a short time means that users might not take the time to research and verify each one. These sites often rely on shares, likes, or followers who then turn news items into a popularity contest—and just because something is popular and widely-shared does not mean it’s true.
Satire news or comedy news often begins with an aspect of truth then purposefully twists it to comment on society. Satire news has the potential to be spread as though it is real news by those who do not understand its humorous nature. An example of a well-known satire website is The Onion.
The process and ability to be able to evaluate and separate fake news from real news is a part of media literacy and, on a broader level, information literacy. There are strategies that you can use to become a savvy judge of news especially online or when using social media. Below are three questions that you should always ask yourself when evaluating a news story.
The first question in figuring out if something is fake news is by looking at the individual who created it, or understanding the organization behind it. When assessing news, especially that which exists on the Internet, it is important to review the following:
The second question in determining if something is fake news is by looking at the message itself and understanding what is being communicated. Review the following:
The third question in determining if something is fake news is by looking at why the message was created. Review the following:
It is always a good idea to verify information before you share it with others—in person or on social media. Aside from the three questions above, an additional method that works is the CRAAP test. Look at the content for its currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose.
Source: Enoch Pratt Library Site https://www.prattlibrary.org/research/guides/spotting-fake-news