Ask Us

If you're trying to figure out if a news story is fake or not, try the following:

• Consider the Source: Click away from the story to investigate the site, its mission and its contact info.

• Read Beyond: Headlines can be outrageous in an effort to get clicks. What's the whole story?

• Check the Author: Do a quick search on the author. Are they credible? Are they real?

• Supporting Sources: First, do they have sources?  If not, what are they basing their arguments on?  If yes, click on those links. Determine if the info given actually supports the story.

• Check the Date: Reposting old news stories doesn't mean they're relevant to current events.

• Is It a Joke?: If it is too outlandish, it might be satire. Research the site and author to be sure.

• Check Your Biases: Consider if your own beliefs could affect your judgment.

• Ask the Experts: Ask a librarian, or consult a fact-checking website.

You can also use these tips to fact-check news stories.

1.  When you open up a news article in your browser, open a second, empty tab.  Use that second window to look up claims, author credentials and organizations that you come across in the article.

2. Fake news spans across all kinds of media - Printed and online articles, podcasts, YouTube videos, radio shows, even still images. Be prepared to double-check everything.

3.  Beware of confirmation bias.  Just because you might agree with what an article is saying doesn't mean it's true.

4.  As Mad-Eye Moody said in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, "Constant Vigilance!"  Always be ready to fact check.

5.  Even the best researchers will be fooled once in a while.  If you find yourself fooled by a fake news story, use your experience as a learning tool.

Source: Information and text from KT Lowe at Indiana University East.