Always look at the images that accompany news articles.   

What are you meant to see when you look at this?

Next,  save a copy of this image on your desktop:

Open up Google Image Search on a new screen and drag the picture file on the search bar to search for it.

Has this photo been used before?

Can you figure out when  it was originally taken?

Whenever you find a news articles, there are three kinds of checks you should perform. If you don't feel comfortable answering any of these questions or don't know the answer, consider finding a new source or talking to a librarian for help.

Visual Check

• Look at the background & site layout. Is it well made?
• Are there ads from products you recognize?
• Does the title use CAPS?
• Avoid headlines that provoke strong emotions.

Site Check

• Check the web address. Be careful of URLs that are similar to popular news sources with the wrong domain (i.e. ".com.co" instead of ".com").
• Check the "About Us" section on the website.
• Who wrote the information? Is it biased?

Fact Check

• Are other sources covering the story? If not, then it's most likely not accurate.
• Read reputable & multiple sources.
• Are there links in the article to other sources? Try to find the original article or source being quoted.

Adapted from Harrisburg Area Community College

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Can you spot a Photoshopped picture?  Here are 9 ways to identify a fake photo.  (2018, May 29). 

Mona Chalabi: 3 ways to spot a bad statistic (2017, February). (Video length: 11:44)

16 useless infographics. (2013, August 1).