Sick and tired of seeing misinformation? Never know who or what to trust? Can't figure out if what you've heard is true? Feel Duped? Want better tools to sort truth from fiction? Here's a quick guide to sorting out facts, weighing information and being knowledgeable online and off
Check Credentials - Is the author specialized in the field that the article is concerned with? Does s/he currently work in that field? Check LinkedIn or do a quick Google search to see if the author can speak about the subject with authority and accuracy.
Read the “About Us” section. Does the resource have one? It may be on a tab at the top of the page, or a link at the bottom of the page, but all reputable websites will have some type of About Us section and will provide a way for you to contact them.
Look for Bias - Does the article seem to lean toward a particular point of view? Does it link to sites, files, or images that seem to skew left or right? Biased articles may not be giving you the whole story.
Check the Dates - Like eggs and milk, information can have an expiration date. In many cases, use the most up-to-date information you can find.
Check out the Source - When an article cites sources, it's good to check them out. Sometimes, official-sounding associations are really biased think tanks or represent only a fringe view of a large group of people. If you can't find sources, read as much about the topic as you can to get a feel for what's already out there and decide for yourself if the article is accurate or not.
Source: How to Fact-Check Like A Pro, Indiana University East Library
See issues and political news with news bias revealed. Non-partisan, crowd-sourced technology shows all sides so you can decide.
Monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.
Hoaxy visualizes the spread of claims and related fact checking online. A claim may be a fake news article, hoax, rumor, conspiracy theory, satire, or even an accurate report. Anyone can use Hoaxy to explore how claims spread across social media. You can select any matching fact-checking articles to observe how those spread as well.
Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.
PolitiFact is a project of the Tampa Bay Times and its partners to help you find the truth in politics.
Reality check: Our reporters investigate – with your help – the truth behind biggest stories of the day
FactCheck.org’s SciCheck feature focuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy.
Attempts to give accurate information about rumors, misinformation, folklore, myths and urban legends on a variety of topics, including war, business, events, toxins, science, military, popular culture
Howard University Department of Media, Journalism and Film
The Washington Post has a very clear left-center bias and this is reflected in their fact checks. Their fact checks are excellent and sourced; however their bias is reflected in the fact that they fact check right wing claims more than left. Otherwise the Washington Post is a good resource.
Source: Evaluating News: Fake News, Laura Karas, USC Upstate Library
Source: Tips for Fact Checking and Avoiding Fake News, Fake News: Check Your Own Claim!, Arthur Lakes Library, Colorado School of Mines