Evaluating Information: Home
Resources for librarians to use to equip students and the general public to identify reliable sources of news and other information.
Evaluating Information
Misleading information published as news is not new to the 21st century. In the late 19th century we called it "yellow journalism," and its practitioners used sensational headlines and outright fraudulent stories to increase sales.Today, with increasing reliance on both digital news outlets and social media for news, sifting through the messages for non-biased sources requires attention, and possibly reviewing multiple sources--including seeking out a reliable original source.
This resource guide includes tips from ALA and our member libraries for assessing the validity of information, professional references to information literacy standards and tools, and style guides for citing sources.
ALA Policy Statements
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Resolution on Access to Accurate Information (2017)This resolution acknowledges the problems of fake news, personalized newsfeeds, web search algorithms and the delay of Freedom of Information Act requests. It states that access to accurate information, rather than censorship, is the best way to counter disinformation and media manipulation.
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“Resolution on Disinformation, Media Manipulation & the Destruction of Public Information (2005)This addresses growing concerns of the U.S. government’s use of disinformation to mislead public opinion, specifically citing government-produced “video news releases” and the U.S. invasion of Iraq. (In PDF)
Toolkits and Guides from the Field
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Evaluating ResourcesFrom the Library, University of California, Berkeley
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Fake News and Alternative Facts: Finding Accurate NewsFrom Austin (TX) Community College Library Services.
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Fake or Real? How to Self-Check the News and Get the FactsNPR article by Wynne Davis, published December 5, 2016
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How to Spot Fake NewsDeveloped by the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), with translations into at least 10 languages other than English.
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Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library: "How to spot 'fake news'Blog post by Lissa Staley, Dec. 6, 2016.
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Pew Study on News HabitsSurvey conducted in February 2016 to understand individuals' online news habits.
Library Response
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#Libraries RespondDeveloped by the ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services to help keep current events in conversation with libraries' ongoing work in and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
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Libraries Transforming Communities: Models for ChangeLibraries Transforming Communities (LTC): Models for Change is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) and National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD). It seeks to introduce libraries to various dialogue and deliberation approaches, enabling libraries to foster conversation and lead change in their communities.
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Libraries Transforming Communities: "Turning Outward" Resources for LibrariesTools designed to help libraries strengthen their role as community leaders and bring about positive change in their communities.
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PLA Post-Election ResourcesPublic Library Association resources to help its members to serve their communities by creating safe places for difficult conversations.
Fact Checking Sites
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FactCheck.orgFactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.
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PolitiFactA 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, an independent newspaper in Florida, as is PunditFact, a site devoted to fact-checking pundits.
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PunditFactA project of the Tampa Bay Times and the Poynter Institute, dedicated to checking the accuracy of claims by pundits, columnists, bloggers, political analysts, the hosts and guests of talk shows, and other members of the media.
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Snopes.comThe snopes.com website was founded by David Mikkelson, who lives and works in the Los Angeles area. What he began in 1995 as an expression of his interest in researching urban legends has since grown into what is widely regarded by folklorists, journalists, and laypersons alike as one of the World Wide Web's essential resources.
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TruthOrFictionGet the truth about rumors, inspirational stories, virus warnings, hoaxes, scams, humorous tales, pleas for help, urban legends, prayer requests, calls to action, and other forwarded emails.
Summary of tips
- Consider the source. Click away from the story to investigate the site, its mission and its contact info.
- Read past the headline. Headlines can be outrageous in effort to get clicks. Go beyond headlines.
- Assess the credibility of the author. Do a quick Google search on the author. What is their expertise? What organization do they represent?
- Look at the links and sources supporting the article. Click those links. Determine if the subsequent information supports the story. Consider the reliability of the sources.
- Check the date.
- Consider that the item might be satire. If it seems too outlandish, it might be satire. Do some quick research on the site and author to find out.
- Consider that it might be promotional. Is the purpose of the site to sell a product?
- Check your biases.
- Search other news outlets to see if the news is widely reported.
