LibGuides: Fake News: Information and resources on evaluating news: Tools for Fact Checking

Fact Checking Resources

FactCheck.org: "FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania....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."
Snopes.com: A website dedicated to fact checking urban legends, rumors, and misinformation.
Politifact: Pulitzer Prize wining site run by editors and reporters from the Tampa Bay Times (Florida) newspaper. "PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics.... The PolitiFact state sites are run by news organizations that have partnered with the Times.
Allsides: "Unbiased news does not exist; we provide balanced news and civil discourse."
Hoax-Slayer: Focused on debunking email and internet hoaxes and scams.
Washington Post Fact Checker: Focused on fact checking political discourse, but also covers complex and divisive issues.
Duke Reporters' Lab: Fact Checking: Includes a global database of fact-checking sites, which can be viewed as a map or as a list; also includes how they identify fact-checkers.
Professor Melissa Zimdars - False, Misleading, Clickbait-y, and/or Satirical “News” Sources
A Google Doc created by an Assistant Professor of Communications at Merrimack College in Massachusetts. Provides advice on how to evaluate news articles (with a list of websites to avoid or question).
SciCheck - focuses on fact checking scientific claims
Climate Feedback - A group of scientists fact checking climate change content in the media

Tips to Keep in Mind When Fact Checking

When you open up a news article in your browser, open a second, empty tab. Use that second window to look up claims, author credentials and organizations that you come across in the article.
Fake news spans across all kinds of media - printed and online articles, podcasts, YouTube videos, radio shows, even still images. Be prepared to double-check everything.
Beware of confirmation bias. Just because you might agree with what an article is saying doesn't mean it's true.
As Mad-Eye Moody said in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, "Constant Vigilance!" Always be ready to fact check.
Even the best researchers will be fooled once in a while. If you find yourself fooled by a fake news story, use your experience as a learning tool.