Research, Citation, & Class Guides: Fake News: Activity 4

1. Does the Headline Sound Unrealistic?

EXCLUSIVE: SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR CALLS HILLARY CLINTON A ‘HYPOCRITE’
'Falling off the cliff': Dementia expert shows 4 ways Trump is exhibiting 'shocking decline'

2. Does the Link Have an Unusual Domain Name or Odd Suffixes?

For example:

ABC.ru
NBCnews.com.co

3. Is the Source Reputable?

Look at the source of the story: What is the name of the source? Who is the publisher? Is there useful information in about us and contact us sections? How about a mission or vision statement? Is some content sponsored by outside groups? Is it satire?

Look at one of the below news sources and answer the above questions to the best of your ability.

Look on the internet: Use a search engine or a website like Media Bias/Fact Check or Media Bias Chart to check on the general bias of the source.

Bing
Search the internet to find out about the source of the story you are investigating.
Google
Search the internet to find out about the source of the story you are investigating.
Media Bias/Fact Check
Independent online media outlet that educates the public on media bias and deceptive news practices. Search for news sources to see where they show up on a bias scale.
Media Bias Chart - Static Version
This chart from Ad Fontes shows perceived bias (liberal/conservative) and range of reporting (from original fact reporting to contains inaccurate/fabricated information) of many major news outlets in English. There is some uncertainty about how Vanessa Otero of Ad Fontes Media, Inc. determined placements.

4. Is the Author Reputable?

Look at the author of the story: Who is the author? Do they have academic training, life experience, or some other skill set that makes them knowledgeable about this subject?

Search the source of the story for more information. Is the author's name clickable? Is there a contributors' page? What does the About Us section reveal.

Also, search the internet for clues.

Bing
Use Bing to search for an individuals name as a phrase in quotation marks, and add additional words if needed to distinguish from other people with the same name, e.g., add words from the name of an organization with which the person is associated.
Google
Use Google to search for an individuals name as a phrase in quotation marks, and add additional words if needed to distinguish from other people with the same name, e.g., add words from the name of an organization with which the person is associated.

5. When was the story published?

When was the information published or posted?
Has the information been revised or updated since then?
Is the story current enough for your topic?

6. Where did the facts and data come from?

Are the sources of information provided?

Are links to information provided?

Is information on charts and graphs clearly labeled?

If not, try searching the internet to see what other sources of information have to say.

Bing
Search the internet to confirm, deny, or learn something new about what you've read.
Google
Search the internet to confirm, deny, or learn something new about what you've read.

7. Where did the images come from?

To check and see where an image originally came from or to see if it has been tampered with, try a reverse image search.

Bing Image Feed-Reverse Image Search
To do a reverse image search, first click on the camera icon, then do one of the following:
1. Drag and drop an image from the web or your computer into the search box. Be sure to delete "Paste image URL here" text if it appears before the link
2. Upload an image by first clicking on the “upload an image” link
3. Copy and paste the URL for an image into the box and select the search button
Google Images-Reverse Image Search
To do a reverse image search, first click on the Camera icon, then do one of the following:
1. Drag and drop an image from the web or your computer into the search box
2. Upload an image using the “Upload an Image” box
3. Copy and paste the URL for an image into the “Paste Image URL” box
4. When using the Chrome browser, right-click on an image on the web and select “Search Google for image”
TinEye
To do a reverse image search do one of the following:
1. Drag and drop an image from the web or your computer into the search box
2. Upload an image by first clicking on the up arrow icon
3. Copy and paste the URL for an image into the “Upload or enter image URL” box

Use Google Images to figure out where one of these images came from:

8. Is the story biased?

AllSides
See news and issues from multiple perspectives. Provides bias ratings for select media outlets.

Also, search the internet to see what other sources of information have to say on the same topic. Do other stories on the same topic tell the same story, or do they have a different bias? Can you find a story that is more neutral?

Bing
Search for less biased stories or ones with a different perspective on the topic.
Google
Search for less biased stories or ones with a different perspective on the topic.

9. Have you Cross-Checked the Story?

Check for the story from a reputable news source. What do you find?

Bing
Use Bing to search for an article from a reputable source on the topic.
Google
Use Google to search for an article from a reputable source on the same topic.

Here are a few stories to check out using a search engine. Look for a story from a reputable news source.

10. Would you share this document? Why or why not?

Once you've investigated a story, you need to decide if you think it is fake news. Think back over the source you just looked at or any of the ones from above. Do you think it is real? Would you share it? Why or why not?

Next, research an opinion you don't believe and see what you find.

Evaluating News Encountered on or through Social Media

This activity would take 30 minutes or more. Using the ten "Is It Fake or Is It Real?" questions, go through some sample web sources to demonstrate each of the main concepts. More example sources are provided than are necessary, so pick and choose what you think would work best for your class. After introducing the concepts, choose either Group A or Group B sources for small groups of students to evaluate based on the 10 questions.

Is It Fake or Is It Real?

Ten questions towards a more informed you:

What is the title?
Does the headline sound unrealistic?
Is the source reputable?
Is the author reputable?
When was the story published?
Where did the facts and data come from?
Where did the images come from?
Is the story biased?
Have you cross-checked the story?
- Have you done your fact checking?
- Have you done your image checking?
- Have you examined another viewpoint?
Would you share this document? Why or why not?