Fake News: How to Evaluate News

When examining articles, you need to look for: 

Authority

• Name, Credentials, Contact Info

Date

• Date article was published and/or last updated

Professional and bias-free Writing Style

• Easy to read, but uses professional language
• Neutral tone
• Provides reliable evidence

The following example illustrates authority, date and professional/bias free writing style: 

Evidence can be:

• Hyperlinks to Outside Sources
  • Scientific studies
  • government information 
  • statistics 
  • polls
  • reports
• Direct Quotes and/or Named Sources
  • witnesses
  • Experts knowledgeable on the subject

Red Flags to Watch out For:

• Spelling/Grammar mistakes
• Loaded Language
• Uses the word “I”
• ALL CAPS
• Exclamation Points
• Memes or GIF’s
• Misuse of Quotation marks
• Unreliable Evidence
• Multiple Links to their own site
• Multiple dead links
• Links to conspiracy sites

The following examples includes multiple red flags: