(Newswire.net — March 9, 2020) — While some of us may avoid it, and some of us are pushed to frustration, we all share the same struggle: reading the news is hard. With the infinite size of the Internet and endless sources of information being thrown at you every day, you may wonder where all of this information comes from. In fact, any good consumer considers their sources of information online to determine whether or not that information is accurate. With the clouded and congested media we have today, that can be a difficult task. How do you know if what you’re reading is true?
There are a variety of techniques that you can use to make sure you know that your news is unbiased and accurate. Here are some tips, guidelines, and recommendations for fact checking sources in major news topics:
Politics
Believe it or not, almost every popular news source sways to one political side. This has a huge impact on the type of information they offer, and how it is presented. Reading only liberal or conservative news will only give you half of the story. Reading both is a good start, but finding contradictions can be confusing. Here’s how to navigate the madness:
- Neutrality is key: Find a news site that doesn’t identify with one political side. This can take thorough research, and comparing liberal and conservative sources to find a site that takes the middle ground. Newtrals is a great example of unbiased articles that always provide sources for quotes and facts.
- Where are the sources?: Any article you read should provide reliable sources for any facts, statistics, or non-opinion information provided. If you can’t find the sources, you can’t trust that news. Beyond that, the sources should be trustworthy, like scientific or government sites, not just some guy’s blog.
- If you’re not sure about an article, compare the information with other sources. If you can’t find any similar statements in other articles on the same topic, that information might not be accurate.
- Compare with international news: Many foreign news sources provide more unbiased information compared to news within the U.S. Reading international articles, like on BBC, can be a reliable way to get unbiased political news.
Science and Health
Journalism related to science and health topics is sensationalized, and it can be very difficult to find reliable scientific information through common searches. However, making sure your health news is accurate is extremely important, especially if you are making decisions about your own health:
- Consider the purpose of the site: If the website has a lot of advertisements or other ways to earn a profit, they may not be focused on providing accurate and reliable information. Their articles could be dramatized or altered to grab attention and get readers to click. These are sites to avoid – a source that is oriented toward public health will be more reliable.
- Check the sources: Any science related article MUST have reliable references cited. Always check an article’s sources and make sure that they are peer-reviewed research studies.
- Read the sources: To really confirm scientific news, you should read or briefly scan the references themselves. Quite often, journalists write dramatic headlines and blanket statements that are actually misinterpretations of the research. Reading a published research study can be intimidating, but don’t get overwhelmed. Just focus on the abstract and conclusion of the study and draw your own conclusions.
- Consult a physician: If you are making health related decisions, always ask a doctor to ensure you fully understand the issue.
World News
Reading global news sources can be a fact checking technique in itself. Concerning American news, it can provide an unbiased, outside perspective. On the other hand, if you’re reading about an international or foreign event, it is always a good idea to read an article from that country as well, to get the inside perspective. Just like reading news here, always check multiple sources for aligning information, and consider what type of website you are looking at.
And of course, if you would like to stay globally updated, global news sources are the best way to do that. Our supply of international news in the U.S. is low, but keeping up with global politics and events can open up your perspective of the world, and may even impact what you think about issues happening here.