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Evaluating News Sources

Spot fake news from real news with this guide.

What are news sources?

News sources can include newspaper articles, news stories from sites like New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and BBC. They usually contain current events, emerging stories, or other popular topics relevant to many folks. News sources can be locally driven, like Rochester's newspaper the Democrat and Chronicle, national like NPR, or world-wide. Use this guide to help you evaluate news sources, identify fake news, and locate credible news sources.

The video below is from University of Louisville Libraries, part of their News Literacy Videos series.

What is fake news?

Consider the following definitions as you evaluate news sources:

Fake News

Lavery Library defines fake news as news stories that are false -- where you as a reader cannot verify the facts or claims offered in the story.

Misinformation

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), misinformation "is false or inaccurate information" that is shared (and re-shared) without the express purpose to mislead or deceive.

Disinformation

The APA defines disinformation as "false information which is deliberately intended to mislead -- intentionally misstating the facts."

Source: Misinformation and disinformation, American Psychological Association