Going Further - Navigating Digital Information

How To Spot Inacurate Information

Misinformation: Ideas and stories that are put out by media as fact but later are redacted as being inaccurate. ( A mistake)    

Disinformation:  Inaccurate ideas and stories portrayed as fact intentionally posted for persuasion or cause doubt of the truth (intentional deception) 

Fake News- stories that appear to be news, spread on the internet or using other media, usually created to influence political views or as a joke.

5 ways to spot Inaccurate Information:

• • Look for clues in the way the article is written

    • • Caps and exclamation points don't have a place in a real news article

  • Ask Who are the writers and the people in the story

    • • Google names for clues to see if they are legitimate or not

  • Search the author

    • • is telling the facts or using satire?  

      • Is the author credible?

  • Look for questionable quotes and photos

    • • Do a Google image back search to see if the picture was accurately

  • Read beyond the headlines:

    • • Sometimes these can be outrageous in an effort to get clicks

      • Find out what the whole story is by:

        • Reading  the whole article

        • Finding other sources on the same topic  

Back to the Web Critic Page