• Check who created the content before believing it or sharing it. Is it a real person or group known to share valid information? Are they credible? If the information is from a group or website, figure out who they are. What is their mission?
• Check the date. An old story might not be fake, but it might not have all the current helpful information, either. Having current, credible information is important.
• Read more than the headline of a news story. Headlines grab your attention, but they don’t always match the content of the article. People who spread wrong opinions based only on headlines add to public confusion.
• Is the story confirmed by other credible news sources? Most news stories are reported first by one news outlet, but soon, if the story is based on fact, other outlets will confirm the story themselves and report on it, too. They may even add additional facts and details they discovered during their confirmation of the story. If you cannot find several credible news sources to confirm a story, it might not be true. Does your source give supporting links or resources? Are they valid? Can you find other credible sources by doing some research?
• These nonpartisan websites can help you to fact-check news stories:
Factcheck.org: Fact-checks what is said by politicians, TV ads, interviews, press releases, and more.
Politifact.com: The site’s Truth-O-Meter ranks the statements of politicians from “True” to “Pants on Fire”!
Snopes.com: Checks facts on many wild “fake news” stories.
• Remember that a political meme is someone’s attempt to sway you. Not to inform you.
• Is it satire? Satire is a type of comedy that uses wit, irony, or sarcasm to mirror the actual news. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.
• Read many, many sources and compare how they cover the same story. Think about how the reports differ and what those differences might reveal about the news sources. Reading widely will help you figure out which sources are trying to sway you with false information or by leaving out important details.