Fake News, Misinformation, and Disinformation

When assessing a source for legitimacy, ask yourself the following questions:

• Who
• What
• Where
• When
• Why

• Who wrote it?
• What are their qualifications?
• Are their qualifications from an accredited institution?
• Does the author work at a reputable organization?
• Check the "About Us" section; does the organization have an authoritative team of journalists or writers?

• Does the article inform the reader of all sides of the topic?
• Does the title of the source match the content?
• Check the sources cited in the article; are they reliable sources? Are direct quotes used and are they taken out of context?
• Does the article have multiple spelling or grammatical errors?

• When was the source published?
• Has the source been updated, edited, or repurposed since publication?
• Are there any broken links present? 
• How important is the date?

• Where was the source published?
  • On social media: Social media platforms are not news organizations, be cautious of photos and/or videos that may have been manipulated.
  • On a blog/website: Blogs contain content that is written informally and run by an individual or small group that may write articles from a specific viewpoint to generate a click/reaction.
  • In the news media: These news organization adhere to strict policies and standards and may have opinion pieces or discussions with people offering different viewpoints.
• Does the URL look correct? 

• What is the purpose of the source? 
  • To inform: is the content informative? What information is it giving you? Can you verify the facts? Are sources offered and can you evaluate them?
  • To sell: is the article trying to sell you something? Can you tell the difference between native advertising and sponsored content?
  • To entertain: satire and fake news are not the same, can you tell the difference?
  • To persuade: what is the author's point of view? Is it objective? Is it biased?
• Who benefits from this information?