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Fake News: Evaluating & Fact Checking

Understanding the Fake News Ecosystem

Video - Evaluating Sources for Credibility

"Evaluating Sources for Credibility." North Carolina State University Libraries, published on YouTube 9 June  2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLTOVoHbH5c.
CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0 US license

Process for Fact Checking Internet Sources

How to Spot Fake News

How to spot fake news: 1. Consider the source. Click away from the story to investigate the site, its mission and its contact info. 2. Read beyond. Headlines can be outrageous in an effort to get clicks. What's the whole story? 3. Check the author. Do a quick search on the author. Are they credible? Are they real? 4. Supporting sources? Click on those links. Determine if the info given actually supports the story. 5. Check the date. Reposting old news stories doesn't mean they're relevant to current events. 6. Is it a joke? If it's too outlandish, it might be satire. Research the site and author to be sure. 7. Check your biases. Consider if your own beliefs could affect your judgement. 8. Ask the experts. Ask a librarian, or consult a fact-checking site. This infographic was created and used with permission by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

Fact Checking Sites

Fact-checking websites can help you determine whether the legitimacy of what you hear or read. However, even fact-checking websites should be examined critically. 

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