Evaluating Information

News: How do you get the truth?

• Try to get to the original source, or actual report and judge for yourself. 
• The more chaotic the story, the less you should follow it in real time. Allow time for facts and events to be verified.
• Today's media attempts continuous coverage even when no reliable new information is available.
• Read coverage in multiple outlets, note the differences, and put the pieces together.
• Separate fact from opinion. Watch out for words like: think, likely, or probably.
• Watch out for reports that rely on anonymous sources.
• Try to verify news before spreading it. Do a web search to find additional information or context you might have missed.

From the TED-Ed Lesson, How to Choose Your News, by Damon Brown. View the complete video below.

Do you know a reputable news source when you see one? Can you tell how a particular news outlet is biased? These resources can help you start to figure that out.

Search library databases to see if the news item is carried by reputable newspapers, news magazines, or mentioned in other resources. If so, this can be a powerful way to determine whether or not what you've found online is credible.