## Good source for analyzing the torrent of fake news we are flooded with.

## False, Misleading, Clickbait-y, and/or Satirical “News” Sources

### Tips for analyzing news sources:

- • websites that end in “lo” ex: Newslo (Newslo is now found at Politicops.com). These sites • websites that end in “lo” ex: Newslo (Newslo is now found at Politicops.com). These sites take pieces of accurate information and then packaging that information with other false or misleading “facts” (sometimes for the purposes of satire or comedy).
- • out for common news websites that end in “.com.co” as they are often fake versions of real • out for common news websites that end in “.com.co” as they are often fake versions of real news sources (remember: this is also the domain for Colombia!)
- • out if known/reputable news sites are not also reporting on the story. Sometimes lack of • out if known/reputable news sites are not also reporting on the story. Sometimes lack of coverage is the result of corporate media bias and other factors, but there should typically be more than one source reporting on a topic or event.
- • domain names generally equal odd and rarely truthful news. • domain names generally equal odd and rarely truthful news.
- • of author attribution may, but not always, signify that the news story is suspect and requires • of author attribution may, but not always, signify that the news story is suspect and requires verification.
- • news organizations are also letting bloggers post under the banner of particular news • news organizations are also letting bloggers post under the banner of particular news brands; however, many of these posts do not go through the same editing process (ex: BuzzFeed Community Posts, Kinja blogs, Forbes blogs).
- • the “About Us” tab on websites or look up the website on Snopes or Wikipedia for more • the “About Us” tab on websites or look up the website on Snopes or Wikipedia for more information about the source.
- • web design and use of ALL CAPS can also be a sign that the source you’re looking at should • web design and use of ALL CAPS can also be a sign that the source you’re looking at should be verified and/or read in conjunction with other sources.
- • the story makes you REALLY ANGRY it’s probably a good idea to keep reading about the topic • the story makes you REALLY ANGRY it’s probably a good idea to keep reading about the topic via other sources to make sure the story you read wasn’t purposefully trying to make you angry (with potentially misleading or false information) in order to generate shares and ad revenue. Thanks to Ed Brayton for this tip!
- • the website you’re reading encourages you to DOX individuals, it’s unlikely to be a legitimate • the website you’re reading encourages you to DOX individuals, it’s unlikely to be a legitimate source of news.
- • always best to read multiple sources of information to get a variety of viewpoints and media • always best to read multiple sources of information to get a variety of viewpoints and media frames. Sources such as The Daily Kos, The Huffington Post, and Fox News vacillate between providing important, legitimate, problematic, and/or hyperbolic news coverage, requiring readers and viewers to verify and contextualize information with other sources.
- • more tips on analyzing the credibility and reliability of sources, please check out School • more tips on analyzing the credibility and reliability of sources, please check out School Library Journal (they also provide an extensive list of media literacy resources) and the Digital Resource Center.

### OpenSources Steps for Analyzing Websites:

Step 1: 1: Title/Domain Analysis. If words like “.wordpress” or “blogger” are in the domain that usually signifies it’s a personal blog rather than a news source. If slight variations of well known websites appear, such as “.com.co,” this is usually a sign that the website is fake version of a source. However, remember that foreign reputable news organizations may have these country-specific domains.

Step 2: 2: About Us Analysis. I usually google every title/domain name/anyone listed in the “About Us” section to see if anyone has previously reported on the website (snopes, hoax-slayer, politifact, factcheck.org, etc.) or whether it has a wikipedia page or something similar detailing its background. This is useful for identifying and correctly interpreting lesser known and/or new websites that may be on the up-and-up, such as satirical sources or websites that are explicit about their political orientation.

Then I look for information about the credentials and backgrounds of affiliated writers (is it a content mill or do they pay their writers?), editors, publishers, and domain owners (who.is etc.). It’s also useful to see