Fact checking can be tricky. The NHFPL is here to help!
It all starts with Information and Media Literacy.
Information Literacy is the ability to “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.” (ALA.org)
Media Literacy is “The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication.”
Library staff are always happy to assist with gathering and evaluating resources.
This page is meant to help you even when the Library is not open or you can’t travel to us.
Evaluating Resources
Not all resources are created equal. Depending on the source, information provided can be used out of context or lean in different directions. A reliable resource should be both factually accurate and come from a trustworthy source.
Here are two helpful approaches to evaluating resources:
1. SIFT
SIFT is commonly-used method to evaluate sources. SIFT was developed by by Michael A. Caulfield, a digital literacy expert and research scientist at the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public. Caulfield created S.I.F.T. in response to information literacy evaluation checklists that overlooked online resources, which are more readily available these days and easy to manipulate so they look trustworthy even if they aren’t.
Learn more about the S.I.F.T. Method by clicking on the purple boxes below to expand them:
S = STOP
When you land on a page, pause and ask yourself if you trust the website or source. If you’re unsure, don’t read or share it yet—use other methods to verify if it is credible.
As you fact-check, be careful not to get lost in endless details or fall into a “click cycle.” If you start feeling overwhelmed, take a step back and refocus on your main goal. Adjust your approach if necessary and ensure you’re digging deep enough for your needs.
I = INVESTIGATE the source
The key is to understand what you’re reading before you dive in.
You don’t need to do an in-depth investigation, but knowing the source matters. For example, if you’re reading an article about oral health by a dentist who is also a dental professor at well-respected university, it’s more likely to be accurate. Similarly, if you’re watching a video promoting milk benefits by the dairy industry, knowing that helps you understand its goal and point of view.
This doesn’t mean experts are always right or that industry sources are always untrustworthy, but understanding the source’s expertise and agenda is essential for interpreting the information. Spending a minute to check the source can save you time and help you assess its reliability and relevance.
F = FIND trusted coverage
Sometimes, it’s not the article you care about but the claim it’s making. You want to know if it’s true, if it reflects a widely accepted viewpoint, and/or if it’s controversial.
In these cases, skip focusing on the original source and look for trusted reporting or analysis on the claim. Look for a broader overall perspective from more in-depth coverage.
You don’t have to agree with the consensus, but understanding the context and background of a claim helps you evaluate it more effectively.
T = TRACE claims, quotes, and media back to the original context
Many things you find online are missing important context. You might see a video of a fight, but what happened before? Who started it? What parts were cut out? Or you might come across a photo with a questionable caption, or a claim about a new medical treatment that’s supposedly backed by research—but you’re not sure if the study actually supports it.
In these cases, the best approach is to trace the claim, quote, or media back to its original source. This way, you can see it in full context and determine if what you saw was presented accurately.
S.I.F.T. Method is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License and used here for educational purposes.
2. SIFT & PICK
(Access the printable worksheet here.)
SIFT & PICK was developed by Ellen Carey. Carey started with Caulfield’s SIFT method and added PICK to examine “the source itself to decide whether it is the best choice” for your research needs (CORA).
Learn more about SIFT & PICK by reading this LibGuide.
SIFT & PICK is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License and used here for educational purposes.
Recognizing Media Bias
Media and news bias refers to the ways information is presented with a particular perspective influencing how stories are reported and understood. Bias can impact how news stories are selected and presented; even the language used to describe events or people. Media and news bias is not always intentional, but you should be careful to be aware of how information is presented to you either way.
It’s important to remember that every media outlet is shaped by its editors’ choices, funding, and target audience. Recognizing media bias helps readers think critically about what they consume, encouraging them to explore multiple viewpoints and rely on reliable, fact-based sources.
Several neutral websites track media bias. Below are some of our top recommendations.
Helpful Links
The Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart is an interactive visual tool designed to evaluate and classify news outlets based on their political bias and reliability. Created by Ad Fontes Media, the chart helps consumers identify where different media organizations fall on a spectrum from left to right (political bias) and from low to high (news quality and reliability).
AllSides presents what they call Balanced News: each day’s top news stories, information, and ideas from the Left, Center and Right of the political spectrum side-by-side and labeled with media bias ratings so readers can see the full picture.
The AllSides Media Bias Checker allows you to paste an article’s link into the search bar and find out instantly whether your source is biased.
The AllSides Media Bias Chart™ maps bias from conservative to leftist so you can get the full picture and avoid manipulation and misinformation.
PolitiFact fact checks political news and politician quotes and claims with the aim to help the American public participate in democracy with accurate information.
Misinformation and Disinformation
Misinformation refers to false information shared without harmful intent, often stemming from misunderstandings or mistakes. In contrast, disinformation is deliberately created or shared to deceive or manipulate others, frequently serving political, financial, or ideological goals.
Hoaxes are made up stories designed to trick or amuse audiences. They add another layer of confusion, often taking advantage of people’s trust or emotions.
The newest form of disinformation is deepfakes, which use advanced artificial intelligence to create hyper-realistic fake videos or audio recordings that mimic another person’s face, body, and/or voice, making it difficult to to tell the difference between which content is real and which is not.
Fake News
Fake news is information that looks like news content but is not. Sometimes fake news can be innocent and intended for comedy, such as satire websites like The Onion or McSweeneys. (These types of sites make it clear that the news headlines are not real, even though they include real elements.) Fake news also includes advertorials, advertisements that are designed to look like news articles. Advertorials are found more commonly in print magazines and newspapers, but they are also online.
Other fake news sites are purposely intended to deceive or spread disinformation. Sometimes these sites mimic real news sites while others present themselves as the news. View a list of fake news sites here.
When you look at a headline or news article, you can follow the steps in this infographic to determine if it is trustworthy.
Forms of false information challenge our ability to discern truth from fiction, highlighting the critical need for media literacy and reliable fact-checking resources including the ones listed below.
Helpful Links
Verify the latest news with AP Fact Check. AP fact checkers combat misinformation by debunking false and misleading claims.
Founded in 1994, Snopes.com covers a wide range of topics, including politics, science, pop culture, and history, making it a trusted resource for fact-checking in today’s fast-moving digital world. Whether you’re searching for clarity on a conspiracy theory or verifying a viral post, Snopes is a one-stop shop for reliable information.
FactCheck.org is a nonpartisan website that fact checks political news, TV ads, debates, speeches, and interviews. Their mission is “to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.”
PEN AMERICA’s Trusted Messenger Guidebook: How to Protect Your Community Against False Information offers advice to talk to the people in your life about
RumorGuard is a fact checking website maintained by the News Literacy Project (NLP), a nonpartisan education nonprofit. NLP created RumorGuard to help us all learn how to recognize misinformation and stop it in its tracks. Each fact-checked viral rumor contains concrete tips to help you build your news literacy foundation and confidently evaluate claims you see online.
More Resources
American Library Association Information Literacy Bibliography
Analyzing Online Sources: A Toolkit by Rowan University
YouTube Video: 5 Components of Information Literacy