Questions for FactChecking Detectives

Facts can be checked with research, and these days a lot of people use the internet for their research. Unfortunately, not all information on the internet is true and accurate. Here are some tips to help you do research on the internet more carefully.

The News Literacy Project provides a list of 10 questions to help people do research on the internet. Below are three of those topics. To see all 10, go to the source link below.

Gauge your emotional reaction:

Is it strong? Are you angry? Are you intensely hoping that the information turns out to be true? False?

Consider the headline or main message:

a. Does it use excessive punctuation (!!!) or ALL CAPS for emphasis?

b. Does it make a claim about containing a secret or telling you something that “the media” doesn’t want you to know?

Consider the source of the information:

a. Is it a well-known source?

b. Is there a byline (an author’s name) attached to this piece?

c. Go to the website’s “About” section: Does the site describe itself as a “fantasy news” or “satirical news” site?

d. Does the person or organization that produced the information have any editorial standards?

e. Does the “contact us” section include an email address that matches the domain (not a Gmail or Yahoo email address)?

f. Does a quick search for the name of the website raise any suspicions?

Source: newslit.org