How can you tell if what you’re reading is from a credible news source? It can be difficult to tell, as fake news and real news, especially in the age of digital communications, can look virtually the same.
Fortunately, there are many helpful resources available that will walk you through what to look for when evaluating an article or source as real, credible news or false news.
The News Media Alliance has compiled a list of programs below from several organizations that offer tips and education for improving news literacy (i.e. the ability to evaluate news content and decide if it is credible or fake).
There is something here for everyone, from the news novice to the highly news literate, and everything in between.
Explore these resources, which include helpful websites; infographics; listicles; podcasts; articles; short lesson modules; comprehensive listings of false news sites; presentations; online and in-person news literacy courses for students; fact-checking resources and more!
Improving your news literacy ensures you are supporting real news!
Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries – Evaluating Information
http://guides.library.jhu.edu/evaluate
– A witty acronym helps with remembering the steps – take the CRAAP test (2nd one down on the page)
– Explore the broader site to learn more
The News Literacy Project
http://www.thenewsliteracyproject.org/
– Checkology Virtual Classroom to help “students discover how to navigate today’s challenging information landscape by using the core skills and concepts of news literacy.” (Note: You have to create an account, but it has some really cool lesson modules on filtering news and information, navigating today’s information landscape, and how to know what to believe.)
– Their Get Smart About News initiative has great shareable infographics, quizzes and other activities to help you hone your media literacy skills.
On the Media (WNYC Studios): Breaking News Consumers Handbook – Fake News Edition
http://www.wnyc.org/story/breaking-news-consumer-handbook-fake-news-edition/
– Good infographic list of how to tell if something is likely fake news
– Includes a podcast
– Good all-in-one resource: Melissa Zimdars, assistant professor of communication and media at Merrimack College, has made a list of more than 100 problematic news sites, along with tips for sorting the truthful from the troublesome.
NPR
– NPR has a couple of good articles on real vs. fake news:
“Fake or Real?: How to Self-Check the News and Get the Facts”
Newseum Media Literacy Resources
https://newseumed.org/medialiteracy
– Free resources on fighting fake news and developing students’ media literacy skills, including activities, lessons, case studies and guest blog posts.
– The Fact Finder: Your Foolproof Guide to Media Literacy offers tools and individual lesson plans (inspired by the 5-E’s constructivist instructional model – engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate) for educators to build their own media literacy courses for high school and college students.
Center for News Literacy (Stony Brook School of Journalism)
http://www.centerfornewsliteracy.org
– Digital Resource Center – The Course Pack for Fall 2018 (Google Drive folder) contains materials for teaching News Literacy.
– 14-Lesson Series (summary bullet points on each course)
– Making Sense of the News – This 6-week online course, developed at Stony Brook University and the University of Hong Kong, helps learners to better identify reliable information in news reports. The course will discuss the key elements of journalism from the viewpoint of the news audience. This course is for anyone interested in learning how to evaluate the quality of news and journalism in order to judge the reliability of information and make informed judgment.
Snopes’ Field Guide to Fake News Sites and Hoax Purveyors
http://www.snopes.com/2016/01/14/fake-news-sites/
– Resource for fact-checking