Call it what it is - If it is not NEWS then it must be...

"Fake News"- does not technically exist.  It is a type of hoax or deliberate spread of misinformation (false information), be it via the traditional print or broadcasting news media or via Internet-based social media. To qualify as fake news, a story has to be written and published with the intent to mislead in order to gain financially or politically but are then better categorized below.  It becomes "fake news" when someone pushes it as actual news. (Wikipedia)

  • Satire - the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.​
  • Imposter Content - When genuine sources are impersonated.
  • Bias - prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.​
  • Misinformation - false or inaccurate information, especially that which is deliberately intended to deceive.
  • Disinformation - false information that is intended to mislead, especially propaganda issued by a government organization to a rival power or the media.​
  • Click Bait - (on the Internet) content whose main purpose is to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a particular web page.

Real news (How to tell)

It passes the CRAP test!
Picture
(Sometimes you'll see two "A"'s another one for Accurate)

​Your best bet to avoid all this is to use the...
​Databases at UEN.org
a.k.a.
Utah's Online Library!
Picture
Use this rubric to score your sources.

Fake news (How to tell)

Picture
It Fails the CRAP test!  

The site is:
NOT Current, or
NOT Reliable, or
No Authoritative author, or its
​POV or Purpose is very strongly opinionated.

Use this LINK to find your source

See what others think of it!

Reputable News sites

Not news sites.

Use this living Google Doc that currently has over 800 sources and their various reasons.  Scroll through it or use "Ctrl F" to find a source your interested in.
​
I do not want to list any here so that I do not promote them! The more they're promoted the more support they get!

​Rules of thumb.
  • Too unbelievable
  • Irrelevant pop-ups
  • Check the URL carefully!
  • Google the "Headline" or author.

Some Fact Checking sites

Picture
  • Media Bias / Fact Check
  • Learn about a source.  Go to the link image on left or below and search "Salt Lake Tribune" to see how if it is biased.
  • Click the categories in the Black area!
  • Search for your own sources. ​
Picture
Snopes
..."​has since grown into the oldest and largest fact-checking site on the Internet, one widely regarded by journalists, folklorists, and laypersons alike as one of the world’s essential resources."
Picture

​Politifact
"PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics. PolitiFact is run by editors and reporters from the Tampa Bay Times..."
Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.

I am NOT trying to sell this to anyone but they make some great points here.

Deliberate CRAP examples (Can you spot why?)

Instructional Sites

Allsides media list
A couple more I found! ​
Here is another list for you to check YOUR sources
This chart gets updated quite often so here is a link to their website and all the versions in case mine is outdated.
Also please SCROLL on that page to see separate charts for the big news corporations
such as CNN, FoxNews, MSNBC, TheYoungTurks. 
​T​here is also a blank chart if if you would like your students to evaluate sources on their own.
Picture

Here is a simpler chart with less information

Picture

Conspiracies?

Not necessarily news. Here is another cool poster perhaps of anti-news.  Teachers if you'd like a print out of this contact me for a better quality one.... (See above C R A P !) PDF Version Please view this with the proverbial "grain of salt" as the verbage and tone may seem harsh, the content and divisions is pretty spot on.
Picture