How to Fact Check and Spot Fake News
1. Check the Source
- What outlet wrote this? Have I heard of them before? Are they popular? Is there any other information about them? Is there anything suspicious about the URL? Do they have an "About Us" section? Are they biased?
2. Check the Author
- Who wrote this? Have they written anything else? What have they written about before? What is their background? Are they well known and credible?
3. Check the Date
- When was this written? Does its date line up with the dates of the events it is talking about? How long ago was this written?
4. Check the Sources and Citations Used
- Who are the quoting or citing? Is that a reliable and credible source? Is that quote or citation the entire story? Does the information on the website they linked line up with what they were saying? Are there any sources or citations at all?
5. Check your Personal Biases
- Is this article confirming your biases? Does is support only your beliefs? Is it only one specific side of the story? Is it telling you everything you want to hear?
6. Check Spelling, Grammar, and other Visual Cues
- Are there lots of misspelled words or usage of wrong grammar? Is there an excessive amount of punctuation? How professional does the website look? Are there lots of pop up ads or stolen photos?
7. Check if it's a Joke
- Is it written in a satirical way? Are there lots of jokes? Is it far-fetched? Is it meant to be funny? How silly is the topic and writing?
8. Check Other Articles or News Outlets
- Has there been anything else written about this topic? What are other credible outlets saying about the topic? Do other credible outlets and articles align with what is being said?
9. Check with Other Experts or Fact Checkers
- Use reliable fact checking websites to check claims. What do these sites have to say about what is being said? What have they already proven wrong or right? What do they have to say about my source? What do my peers have to say about this source? Have they heard of this source before?
10. Check to Make Sure You've Done All the Research You Can!
- Have I thoroughly vetted this source? Is there anything that feels suspicious or off to me? Have I exerted all of my options to find if it is truthful or not? Have I checked multiple parts of this source? Do I feel like this source is credible? Would I claim that I find this source credible and reliable?
