Fake and Misleading News

What is fake news? It isn't simply news that you disagree with. It comes in many forms that often overlap.

• Entirely fabricated information or grossly distorted versions of actual events.
  Example: Empire News.
• Extreme bias that presents opinion as fact or uses factual content out of context.
  Example: Daily Kos.
• Clickbait (often factual content that uses exaggerated or misleading headlines or images to encourage people to click).
  Example: Breaking 911
• Satire or parody (humor, irony, or exaggeration) used to comment on current events.
  Example: The Onion.

Adapted from Melissa Zimdars' categories in False, Misleading, Clickbait-y, and/or Satirical “News” Sources.

Help stop the spread of fake news: Think before you share!

In addition to general strategies for evaluating sources, the infographic below provides evaluation strategies specific to news sources.

Infographic created by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

Help stop the spread of fake news on Facebook by reporting it for review.

Although nothing can replace your own careful evaluation, these tools can help you determine whether a news source is reliable.

Fact checking websites can help you determine whether some claims found in the news are true. The following are some of the most widely respected and trusted fact checkers.

This guide is maintained by D'Arcy Hutchings.

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