Fake News
What is Fake News?
"Fake news" is not news that we disagree with- it's false or extremely exaggerated news stories usually meant to influence political views (unless it's a joke). Why does it exist? Well, fake news generates ad revenue by getting a reader to click on the story or pick up a tabloid.
Fake news is always evolving with new techniques to trap readers. Over-the-top headlines,copycat URLs, and misspellings are hallmarks of sneaky, sloppy content. However these stories evolves, checking your sources carefully can help you avoid fake news of any kind.
Media Bias Chart by Ad Fontes Media
This chart maps out bias among newspapers. Try to stay in the green square, and think of local, established papers such as The Greeley Tribune, The Denver Post, The Coloradoan, or The Colorado Sun as generally green-square approved (except in their op-ed sections).
You can learn more about how this chart was made at Ad Fontes.
How to spot Fake News (Video)
Spotting Fake News (Infographic)
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has made this infographic with eight simple steps, based on FactCheck.org’s 2016 article "How to Spot Fake News".
how_to_spot_fake_news pdf.pdfSpotting Fake News (Infographic #2)
The citation generator Easybib.com has created an infographic highlighting key items to look for when determining a website's credibility.
Fact Checkers
Try one of these fact checkers if you're unsure about a story- it's likely one of these have already fact-checked it.
Practice Games
Play as an online troll and see how much havoc you can spread through fake news at getbadnews.com
Try your hand at spotting a troll instead
Play at spreading disinformation
Edit a newspaper to create bias
See if you can spot fake stories in your social media feed
Decide if an image is real or photoshopped