Fake News: Getting Started
Getting Started
How can I tell if the article I'm reading is true and unbiased?
Click on the tab Fact Checking to learn how to review an article for signs of fakery and bias. Click on the Checking Articles tab to see what criteria you should test articles against.
How can I tell if the news story I saw on Facebook is accurate?
Click on the tab Fighting Fake News for information about fake news sites. Click on the Fact Checking tab for websites dedicated to testing whether claims and stories are true.
What logical fallacies do fake news articles employ?
Click on the tab Common Logical Fallacies for examples of fallacies used in fake news.
What should I look for in articles?
Click on the tab Checking Articles for a guide detailing what you should do before relying on articles, even in our online databases.
Fake News in the News
EXAMPLES: When fake news becomes the real news!
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ABCNews: When Fake News Makes Real News HeadlineAbout a fake story which was treated as real news. Traces some of the pipeline for developing and distributing fake news
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NPR: We Tracked Down a Fake-News CreatorAbout Jestin Coler, who began creating and distributing fake news in 2013.
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NPR: Students Have Dismaying Inability to Tell Fake News ApartMany students cannot tell fake news from real news.
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New York Times: How Fake News Goes ViralFrom a single Tweeter with 35 friends to being shared over 400,000 times through various forums, this article traces a Tweet made November 9th, 2016.
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CNN: Fake News, Real Violence"Pizzagate" was a fake news story which connected a pizzeria with a child pornography ring allegedly run by Hillary Clinton and John Podesta. On Sunday, December 3, 2016, an armed shooter entered the pizzeria and fired a shot before being accosted by the police.
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NPR: A Finder's Guide To FactsThis article discusses "post-truth", the idea that all news outlets will fail you eventually and it's impossible to know who to trust. It provides some commonsense advice on what to look for in a news outlet.
Satire as "News"
Not all Fake News is Malicious
Some "Fake News" is meant as entertainment or to cast a critical eye on real news. Satirical sites such as The Onion and The Borowitz Report are meant to be funny but can also hold up a mirror to real news, issues, and government.
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Trump Ties Thousands Of Balloons To White House Roof In Attempt To Sail Away From Impeachment InquiryIn an effort to evade the escalating Ukraine scandal, President Donald Trump reportedly tied thousands of balloons to the roof of the White House Thursday in order to sail far away from the impeachment inquiry.
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Georgia Governor Argues That Closing State’s Beaches An Attack On Citizens’ Fundamental Right To Get Wet ’N’ WildWith public health experts decrying his decision last week to reopen the state’s beaches, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp argued Monday that any government action limiting fun in the sun would constitute an infringement upon every citizen’s fundamental right to get wet ’n’ wild.
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Krispy Kreme Offers Vaccinated Customers Free Ride On Glaze Conveyor BeltAs a token of its appreciation to members of the public doing their part to fight Covid-19, leading doughnut purveyor Krispy Kreme announced Wednesday it would begin offering vaccinated customers a free ride on its glaze conveyor belt.
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Ted Cruz Decries Voting Rights Bill As Shameless Power Grab By American People To Control CountryCalling the proposed law “dangerous” and “unprecedented”, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) decried a new voting rights bill Thursday as a shameless power grab by the American people to control the country.
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Clearly Fishing For Compliments: Bernie Sanders Just Posted A Sad Twitter Rant About How He Doesn’t Think He’s Cute Enough To Be PresidentThe war for the Democratic nomination for President is beginning to really heat up, and one heavyweight candidate just made a major move to drum up support from his base: Bernie just posted a sad Twitter rant about how he doesn’t think he’s cute enough to be president.
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The Race Is Over: This Man Who Pointed A Leaf Blower Downward At Full Blast Has Beaten NASA And SpaceX To MarsThe competition between space agencies to successfully land a person on Mars has been heating up over the past few years, but it looks like the race has finally found a winner: this man who pointed a leaf blower downward at full blast has beaten NASA and SpaceX to Mars.
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Aww: Animal Experts Are Saying Cats Really Do Miss Their Owners If That’s What You Need To HearPet lovers, get excited, because scientists have just revealed some fascinating information about your feline friends: Animal experts are saying cats really do miss their owners when they’re gone if that’s what you need to hear!
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