This post was originally published in 2019 and was updated in 2024
from Terrell Hayek
1. In the article, headline, or social share, “who” says “what”? That is, which particular author and publication makes what claim about what topic or ideas?
2. Is what is stated or asserted fact or opinion?
3. Does this title seem true? (This is especially critical for “fact-based” titles.) If so, by whose standards? Who would disagree with that and why? How can one check the facts? Does the author use “gray areas” of “truth” in a way that seems designed to cause confusion, cast doubt, influence thinking, or otherwise change readers’ minds?
4. Is this title entirely “true”/accurate or is it instead based on partially correct information/data? Misleading information is often based on partial truths and then reframed to suit a particular purpose: to evoke an emotion such as anger or fear that leads to some result: a “like”, a donation, a purchase, a registration, a vote, etc. .
5. Are there any built-in logical fallacies in the title itself—especially nonsensical arguments, emotional appeals, or loaded language designed to polarize, unite, or otherwise “engage” readers?
6. Is the subject on which the title is based important? Is it worth a deeper understanding?
7. Who would this benefit if accepted as “true”?
8. Is this information new, a point of view or “view” or something that has been said before (and verified or debunked)?
9. Is the data (fact-based) or position (opinion-based) inherent to the title shared by other trusted publishers, or does it go against the “status quo”? If the latter, how does that affect the title?
10. What background information will I need to be able to assess its credibility? Where can I get more information on the topics in the title to better assess its credibility? What do I stand to gain or lose if I accept this as true?
11. Does the “news” accurately represent the “big picture” or is it something “chosen” (in or out of context) designed to evoke an emotional response in the reader?
For the second set of questions to think critically about news headlines, we turn to News Literacy Projectmedia standards project that created a set of questions to help students think critically about news headlines.
12. Assess your emotional response. Is it strong? are you angry Do you strongly hope that the information turns out to be true or false?
13. Think about how you encountered it. Was it promoted on a website? Appeared in a social media feed? Was it sent to you by someone you know?
14. Consider the title or message:
a. Does he use excessive punctuation or ALL CAPS for emphasis?
b. Does it claim to contain a secret or tell you something the “media” doesn’t want you to know?
c. Don’t stop at the title. Keep exploring!
15. Is this information meant to be easily shared, like a meme?
16. Consider the source of information:
a. Is it a known source?
b. Is there an author (author name) attached to this piece? Does this author have specific knowledge or experience?
c. Go to the About section of the website. Does the site describe itself as “fantasy news” or “satirical news”? What else do you notice – or don’t notice?
17. Is the example you are evaluating dated?
18. Does the example cite a variety of sources, including official and expert sources? Does the information from this example appear in reports from (other) news outlets?
19. Does the sample hyperlink to other quality sources?
20. Can you confirm using reverse image lookup that all the images in your example are authentic (ie not altered or taken from another context)?
21. If you looked up this example on a fact-checking site like snopes.com, factcheck.org, or politifact.com, is there a fact-checker that labels it as less than true?
Remember:
- It’s easy to clone an existing website and create fake tweets to fool people
- AI and “deep fakes” are becoming more common
- Bots are active on social media and are designed to dominate conversations and spread propaganda.
- Propaganda and/or disinformation often uses an actual image from an unrelated event.
- Debunk examples of misinformation when you see them. It’s good for democracy!
You can download the full “check” pdf here and find more resources at checkology.org
