Before you Share
BEFORE YOU SHARE
A bit about CLICKBAIT. Every time a story is clicked on, money is made. It doesn't matter if it is accurate or authoritative- YOU must determine those qualities before you share or click.
EMOTION: What emoji does it make you want to use? Misinformation, disinformation and propaganda are all designed specifically to elicit a strong emotional response. Check your confirmation bias, approach with informed skepticism.
VERIFY: Are there links to other sources to back up the facts? Does the information appear on other news sites? Can you find the original source of a story or image shared widely on social media? Can it be verified by fact checking websites?
AUTHORS: Google the author. What else have they the written? Find information to determine authority.
SOURCE: Check the URL. What is the source's intent? Links to other sources? Reverse Google search images that accompany the article. Verify embedded videos and tweets.
Library News Resources
- FACTIVAAccess to current news from publications such as NYT, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, USA Today, and others.
- Rutgers Libraries Newspaper GuideA guide to the primary databases and collections for newspapers. Also includes links for NY, NJ, PA newspapers. Current and Historical
- Current Events and News (Rutgers LibGuide)Links to various types of consumer information, current event, and popular culture sites.
- Evaluating Information TutorialsThese tutorials and videos cover the basics of evaluating resources for authority, accuracy, and other criteria.
- The New York TimesRutgers University Libraries’ subscription to The New York Times allows all Rutgers affiliates to create free NYTimes.com personal accounts, which provide full access to NYTimes.com and The New York Times app.
- The Wall Street JournalDirect access to the Wall Street Journal. (Rutgers Restricted)
Check your Knowledge
- AI Generated or RealThis research is conducted by Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. All data for research is collected anonymously for research purposes.
- Real or AI QuizBritannica Education
- Which face is real?Which Face Is Real has been developed by Jevin West and Carl Bergstrom at the University of Washington as part of the Calling Bullshit project.
Links and Lists
- "Fake News," Lies and Propaganda: How to Sort Fact from FictionResearch Guide from University of Michigan
- Fake-news. It's complicated.Includes useful graphics on the types of mis- and disinformation.
- Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers"This is an unabashedly practical guide for the student fact-checker"
Reference and Instruction Librarian
Welcome
This guide provides information, tools and tips on identifying and avoiding misinformation, disinformation and propaganda.
If you are interested in a workshop on the topic, please contact me.
Evaluating News Sources
Evaluating News Sources
STOP: At the beginning and at all times during the process, take the time to STOP and ask questions. What is the reputation and claim of the website or source of the information? Are you familiar with the source? If you are unsure, continue to the other steps to get an understanding of what you are looking at. Do not read or share it until you know what you are looking at.
INVESTIGATE THE SOURCE: Know what you are reading before you read it. Take the time to understand the expertise and agenda of the source you are looking at. Is what you are looking at worth the time and effort? Is the source significant and trustworthy?
FIND BETTER COVERAGE: While it is often easy to find any source on a topic, your goal is to find the BEST source you can, which requires looking at multiple sources to determine expert consensus. You want to find the more trusted and in-depth coverage. If you can not confirm this on your original source, seek other coverage.
TRACE CLAIMS, QUOTES AND MEDIA TO THE ORIGINAL CONTEXT: In these cases we’ll have you trace the claim, quote, or media back to the source, so you can see it in it’s original context and get a sense if the version you saw was accurately presented.
Also, pay attention to timeliness and motivation/purpose.
SIFT was created by Mike Caulfield and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Check the Source. Confirm the Facts
![Image of Isaac Newton with a quote "If it's on the internet, then it must be true" -Albert Einstein (inventor of the lightbulb) [1996-present]](http://s3.amazonaws.com/libapps/accounts/60831/images/amp-quot-never-trust-einstein-amp-039-s-quotes-on-the-internet-amp-quot---abraham-lincoln-1462_o_6859203.jpg)
Fact Checking Sites
Use these sites to look up stories and information in order to help verify and understand the type of information being shared. They are well researched and resourced and can and should be trusted.
- AP Fact CheckFact-checking and accountability journalism from AP journalists around the globe.
- Fact Check"We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor 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"
- Lead StoriesLead Stories uses the Trendolizer™ engine to detect and debunk the latest trending fake news stories and hoaxes found on known fake news sites & networks, prank generators and satirical websites.
- SnopesKnown as the "definitive internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation"
Consistency and Bias
It is important to understand bias in information and be aware of one's own confirmation bias. These sites provide information on the bias of sources as well as suggested ways to get information outside of one's own bubble. While bias is important to understand and must be taken into account when evaluating sources, even more important is a source's consistency in providing factual, verifiable, documented and well sourced information. These websites also evaluate sources on their record of providing this type of well researched and verified information.
Learn more about bias, types of bias, objectivity in reporting, and the difference between reporting and opinion pieces
with these tutorials.
- Allsides.comProvides news stories from a variety of sources with multiple biases. Recommended to get an understanding of how the same facts are reported from different sources.
- Media Bias/Fact CheckMedia Bias/Fact Check (MBFC News), founded in 2015, is an independent online media outlet. MBFC News is dedicated to educating the public on media bias and deceptive news practices.
Fact Checking - Specific to Politics and Elections
These websites fact check and provide information specific to politics, politicians and elections. They are especially important for finding facts and information for making informed decisions on voting.
- Vote SmartCheck voting records, background, and public statements of candidates from around the country.
- Politifact"PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics."
- Open Secrets"The Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C., that tracks the effects of money and lobbying on elections and public policy. It maintains a public online database of its information"
Verifying Images
It is important to look carefully at images and research their source. Things to look out for:
- blurred backgrounds
- garbled text
- weird fingers
- architecture
- hair impossibilities
- overly rendered- especially faces/skin
- accessories off
- historical anomaly/anachronism
- symmetry and complex patterns
Reverse Image Searching: A quick an easy way to validate information is to research the images that accompany it. An out of context or faked/photo-shopped image will immediately indicate that the information could be misleading or false. Reverse image searching is also useful in tracking where an image or story originated in order to better understand the information and intent.
AI Detection: AI detecting websites are not 100% reliable in identifying AI images, but may be useful for checking source and context.
- Google Reverse Image SearchSearch for similar images, websites where an image appears, and other information that will help verify or put more context on an image. When using Chrome, right clicking allows for easy reverse image searching.
- TinEyeA reverse image tracker that specializes in copyright and intellectual property violations. Searches only for exact duplicates of images.
- Hive ModerationChecks text, images, video and audio. Chrome extension available.
- Deepfake DetectorUpload images or provide URL of social media posts to verify authenticity.
Types of Mis- and Disinformation
It is vital to understand the types of fake news that exist in order to understand and combat them. 
7 Types of Mis-and Disinformation (First Draft)
Satire or Parody: No intention to cause harm but has potential to fool.
Misleading Content: Misleading use of information to frame an issue or individual.
Imposter Content: When genuine sources are impersonated.
Fabricated Content: New content is 100% false, designed to deceive and do harm.
False Connection: When headlines, visuals or captions don't support the content.
False Context: When genuine content is shared with false contextual information.
Manipulated Content: When genuine information or imagery is manipulated to deceive.