Kathrine Alderman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
In this day and age, access to information is easier than ever. If someone wants to know something, all they have to do is whip out their phone and type it into Google. They'll have their answer in seconds. Even if you don't have a phone with such capabilities, many people still use the internet to learn what's going on in the world. Some people even use Facebook and social media apps as their primary source of information. But how do we know if the information we're reading about is correct?
It can be hard to figure out what's true and what's not in this age of technology. With so many places to find news, it can be rather tricky to figure out what's credible and trustworthy and what's a lie or twisted facts formed to make you believe something.
To help you make sure the news you find is accurate, here are some tips that can help you get the most accurate information possible.
One of the first things you should do is make sure the person posting the news is credible. What is the domain name of the website you're looking at? You should be wary of websites that end in something like ".com.co." A domain like "abcnews" can be considered credible, but "abcnews.com.co" is a different and illegitimate site designed to look like the original.
You should also be aware of the publications point of view. Read the "about us" section of the website to get more insight into the publisher, leadership and mission statement. If it's a news site with strong views in one direction, they may filter information to make their points seem stronger. You should also make sure that the site you're reading from isn't a satirical news site.
Another good thing to look at is the author of the story. Have they published anything else? You should be cautious of any bylines that use celebrity names, especially for little known sites. If the author's contact is a Gmail address, that can also be suspicious.
One more indicator that the news you're reading may not be legitimate is if the quality is low or exaggerated. If there are any spelling errors, lots of all caps words or dramatic punctuation, for example, "???!!!!!!," then it's very possible this isn't a reputable site. Reputable sources tend to have high proofreading and grammatical standards. You should also pay attention to if the story is old or not. Sometimes a site will post an old story and take it out of context.
Always make sure you take into consideration where you found the article, as well. You should be wary of any articles you found via social media or sites known for promoting clickbait. Even if a friend shared the article, you should still double-check and make sure the information is from a reliable source.
If you're reading an article and there is a lack of quotations or notes to a source, especially on a complex issue, then something is wrong. Credible journalism is fed by gathering facts, so lack of research likely means a lack of fact-based information. You should also search the article and see if the information in it is available on other sites. If it isn't, then it is very likely that the information isn't totally valid or hasn't been confirmed yet.
Making sure that images aren't fabricated is another thing to watch out for. Photoshop can be really convincing in this day and age, so if something seems a little fishy, try reverse image searching the photo and see if you come up with anything. You should also check the author's sources to ensure that information wasn't taken out of context to fit the author's view. Just as a photoshopped picture can be used to prove a biased point, quotes taken out of context can do the same.
If, even after all that, you're still unsure, or to just double-check, you can always visit a fact-checking website. There are a few good ones, such as FactCheck.org, International Fact-Checking Network and Snopes.com.
It's always a good idea to make sure what you're reading and sharing is correct, so remember to always check your sources and facts. Many people nowadays try to get a reaction out of people with outrageous claims that divide and anger the population. So, always take the time to make sure you've got facts, not fiction.
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