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ENG 200 Philion

Basic Questions to Ask When Looking at a Source/News Article

Things That Tend to Indicate an Unreliable Source/ Fake News

1. Lots of caps and clickbait headlines to convey a sense of urgency

2. Lots of pop-up ads, banner ads, poor/cluttered web page design

3. Website ends in ".co" or has something similar at the end of the URL (ex.- abcnews.com.co is NOT ABC News)

4. Does the article name their sources, especially for quotes? (ex- "a source close to the __ Administration" is not the same as "Peter Smith, Aide to Michael Johnson")

5. Photos may be heavily edited or manipulated to make something appear a certain way

6. Is the article designed to make you feel angry or sad in its writing style? 

7. Does the headline match what is being reported in the article? 

 

CARP Test

•Current
•Authority (Ex.- health/science)
•Reliable (What evidence/sources do they give?)
•Point of View (Are they reporting opinion or facts? Are they trying to persuade you of something?) 

Guide to Fake News