The Doe was founded to change the course of news reporting. The media site aims to provide verified and honest news from an anonymous source with the aim of changing hearts and minds and providing a true insight into a particular subject from a real person. They’re anti the fake news agenda and know exactly what fake news is.
Its founders believe that education is the best way to provide people with the tools to make a correct decision and have helped us create this piece. Hopefully after reading it you too will be able to evaluate a news website for trustworthiness.
What to Look for:
Check the website's name, site domain and URLs. Here are a number of things to look out for:
URLs that try to imitate the URLs of legitimate news outlets. Such sites in most cases end in .com.co and they try to convince you that you are viewing news from a source that you recognize. For instance, abcnews.com.co
Websites that have names that end in "lo" (i.e. Newslo) - Such sites, at times, mix pieces of true information with false and misleading information, however, this isn't always meant for parody purposes.
In case the URL/domain name is a bit odd to you, don't ignore that. It might be an indication that the site is most probably not credible.
Examine the "About Us" and "Contact Us" links on the website. A few things to look for:
If there are no "About Us" links, then this can be an indication that the site lacks credibility.
Check out the people and links listed in the "About Us" page of the site to get some background information and look at what people might be saying about the site.
Exercise caution and be patient. At times, a website's "About Us" section might not a good indicator of the purpose of the website. For instance, here is the "About Us" section of the Onion: http://www.theonion.com/about/
Check the new source's layout and formatting. A few things to check out:
Take a look at the web design. Awful design and layout can be a telltale sign.
Is the site ridden with adverts? Legitimate sites can feature the occasional ad, however, if you notice numerous ads on the same page, then it can be a sign that the site might have other intentions other than to inform.
Is there a significant use of ALL CAPS on the site? This is another sign that you might need to take the information you read from the site with a grain of salt.
Carry out some quick research on the website or news source. A number of things to check:
Check if there is a Wikipedia page about the site/news source?
Are there mentions of fact-checking websites, for example, Politifact, Snopes, and more, fact-checking the news source?
Look at the author's name. Click on the name, in case it is clickable on the site, or do a search. Has the author written something else? Do they seem like a reputable news source?
The story has how many sources? Is the information contained in the story verifiable? Remember that, in mainstream media stories, individuals are normally quoted by name, title, and place of work (however, sometimes, they can be quoted anonymously), and links to court documents or reports are usually available. This is according to "A Savvy News Consumer's Guide: How Not To Get Duped" by Alicia Shepard.
Look up the organizations, places, and individuals mentioned in the story. Are they even real? Have they been represented accurately?
In case the URL/domain name is a bit odd to you, don't ignore that. It might be an indication that the site is most probably not credible.
Examine the "About Us" and "Contact Us" links on the website. A few things to look for:
If there are no "About Us" links, then this can be an indication that the site lacks credibility.
Check out the people and links listed in the "About Us" page of the site to get some background information and look at what people might be saying about the site.
Exercise caution and be patient. At times, a website's "About Us" section might not a good indicator of the purpose of the website. For instance, here is the "About Us" section of the Onion: http://www.theonion.com/about/
Check the new source's layout and formatting. A few things to check out:
Take a look at the web design. Awful design and layout can be a telltale sign.
Is the site ridden with adverts? Legitimate sites can feature the occasional ad, however, if you notice numerous ads on the same page, then it can be a sign that the site might have other intentions other than to inform.
Is there a significant use of ALL CAPS on the site? This is another sign that you might need to take the information you read from the site with a grain of salt.
Carry out some quick research on the website or news source. A number of things to check:
Check if there is a Wikipedia page about the site/news source?
Are there mentions of fact-checking websites, for example, Politifact, Snopes, and more, fact-checking the news source?
Dig Deeper
A fake quote from Abraham Lincoln about internet reading past, the headline and the top paragraph is crucial. Here's what you need to look out for:Look at the author's name. Click on the name, in case it is clickable on the site, or do a search. Has the author written something else? Do they seem like a reputable news source?
The story has how many sources? Is the information contained in the story verifiable? Remember that, in mainstream media stories, individuals are normally quoted by name, title, and place of work (however, sometimes, they can be quoted anonymously), and links to court documents or reports are usually available. This is according to "A Savvy News Consumer's Guide: How Not To Get Duped" by Alicia Shepard.
Look up the organizations, places, and individuals mentioned in the story. Are they even real? Have they been represented accurately?
In case you notice a quote that seems strange to you, check it up on your preferred search engine. Tip: To get the most relevant results at the top of your search, consider putting quote marks around the quote you are looking up.
Is there a representation of opposing points?
Look at the Date
When it comes to news, dates are essential. The following are some of the things to look out for:Find out if the date of the story is unlisted. Search the headline to see whether you can find the date when the story initially ran.
Whenever major events happen, the initial stories might not contain information that was discovered later. It is wise (even when you aren't worried about fake news) to look at the dates to find out if the story you are reading provides the most recent and complete information available.
Take into Account Your Own Biases
This most likely the most difficult part of being a wise news consumer. We all love to look up things to validate our personal beliefs. But these biases can prevent us from evaluating fake news if it confirms things that we already believe. The following a few strategies to overcome your biases:Try to be aware of your own biases. We often consider bias a dirty word, but the fact is that we all have biases, and in most cases, they are psychologically beneficial frames reference for manoeuvering this tricky world. We just don't like fake news websites using our biases against us.
Consider trying some Project Implicit Social Attitudes or Mental Health Tests for a better perspective on your own biases.
If you are faced with a news story or argument that you quickly disagree with, first find out if it is fake news or unreliable. In case it is not, then consider giving that story or argument as much benefit of doubt as you can.
What is the most relevant point that it makes?
Whose voices is the story or argument representing that you might not be aware of?
Why might the story or argument significant?
Though you don't have to concur with all that you read, you will be in a better position to improve your own arguments if you make the best case possible for a perspective or argument that contradicts your own perceptions and beliefs.
