Evaluating Online Sources

Before you read or share something, STOP. Pause for a moment and think about:

• What you already know about the topic
• What you know about the source. Have you heard of them before? Do they have a reputation?
• Pay attention to any strong emotional reactions you may be having. Is the source's headline making you feel angry or upset? Take a deep breath. Remember, many headlines purposefully try to stir up your emotions and get more clicks. 

Once you've paused, proceed with the next three steps before sharing the source or using it in an assignment.

Take a moment to investigate who is publishing this information online. 

• What can you find about the author or website creators?
• What is their mission? Are they trying to sell you something? Do they have strong biases?
• Do they have authority or expertise in this topic?

Try not to rely on what a website says about itself— after all, not everyone on the Internet is honest about their motives! Go beyond the "About Us" page on a website, and instead use Lateral Reading to figure out what other people are saying about the website's accuracy and trustworthiness.

Find other sources that have covered this same topic or news story. 

• What other coverage is available?
• Are other trusted publications or websites supporting or disputing their claims?
• Have professional fact checkers already researched this topic or story?

This is a good time to use Fact Checking Tools and see if professional fact checkers have written about your topic. You can also check newspapers that you know are reputable. In general, if you can find at least three trustworthy sources reporting the same information, there's a much greater chance that the information is accurate. 

The final step is to try to track information back to its original source. Did the website quote an expert or cite a research study? Click on those links and see what you find.

• Was the claim, quote, or media fairly represented? 
• Does the information from the original source back up the claims being made?
• Is information being taken out of context or cherry-picked to support a particular agenda or bias?

Remember, headlines and social media posts often sensationalize, exaggerate, or take things out of context to get more attention and clicks.