This step asks you to take action on a source. Become a fact checker and read laterally. Go outside the source to learn what other sources say about it.
Before you read the content, learn more about where the information is coming from.
- What is the purpose of the information? Why was the information created? Who is the audience?
- Who are the people publishing the information?
- How is the author qualified to write on the topic? What can you learn about their background, credentials, or affiliations?
- What do others have to say about them?
- Sometimes news is summarized or repurposed - can you find the original source?
- What kinds of sources are they citing? Have they been represented accurately and fairly?
Fact Checking Headlines or Claims
- Can you find coverage of the claim from other sources? Do other sources say the same thing?
- Has it already been fact checked? Many reliable media outlets and organizations address claims being made today and spend a great deal of time fact checking information.
Here's one easy strategy for you to see if something has already been fact checked: just copy and paste a headline into a new browser tab followed by the words “fact check.”
Images, Video, and Media
These can also be altered, taken out of context, or misrepresented. This happens frequently on social media. Do a Google reverse image search to locate the origins of photo.
- On your computer: Right-click over the image and select Search This Image With Google Lens from the pop-up menu. You'll see where that photo has been used and often find its origins.
- On an iPhone: Tap the image, then click the share button along the bottom. Scroll down a bit and select Search on Google.
- On an Android phone: Open your Google app, then go to the website with the image. Touch and hold the image, then tap Search image with Google Lens.
Media Bias
Use these tools to help you identify media bias:
Remember that a website's domain (.org. com, .edu, .gov) is not an indicator of its credibility. The domain only tells you what kind of website it is. You should evaluate the source based on the information it contains, not by the URL.
Practice!
Investigate this source: The Effect of Social Media on College Students.
- What kind of organization is this?
- Based on what you learned about the organization, what do you think is the purpose of the information?
- What information can you find about the author of this article?
- Did they cite their sources? What were those sources like?
