Spotting the lies: Ways to tell which news outlets can and can't be trusted

 

Graphic via The Skidmore News

Molly Burchard 

mb712319@ohio.edu

With the constant influx of news that we take in every day, it can be tricky to decipher what is true and what is not. As discussed in class on Tuesday, there are many frauds on the internet posing as credible news organizations to collect shares and earn money. These people create sites that mimic the layout and style of real news organizations. The hope is that people read their content, believe it, and share it with others they know. 

Readers and viewers must check their news source using a few simple steps to be informed. First, readers should take the time to research organizations that they get their news from. Where do they get their funding? Do they have any pre-existing biases?

One example of a supposed news outlet with a pre-existing bias is Fox News. Early last year, Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch said that Fox News would serve as a "loyal opposition" to the Biden Administration, hoping that its views and ratings go up. That isn't very comforting to hear. Many people watch Fox get their nightly news but are fed skewed information. According to its website, Fox News was the most watched cable station in 2021. Even more frightening, more than half of adults surveyed by Morning Consultant in 2019 said they believed Fox News to be a credible source.

Another question that should be asked when determining which news sources can and cannot be trusted is what kind of sources are they citing, or are they citing any sources at all? That may be a red flag if a news organization spits statistics or facts without attributing them. If they only reference past articles from their site, that may also be a concern. It is also essential to know if they got their information from an "expert," what is this person an expert on? You would want the latest information about a vaccine to come from a doctor or a scientist, not a politician or someone in another profession.  

Finally, it is essential to be wary of what is shared on social media. Every day, false information gets shared on the internet. Last week, NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Twitter that quarterback Tom Brady had officially retired, when this was not the case. Brady had not yet decided on his retirement. However, different media outlets all over the country were spreading the news within seconds. That caused a lot of confusion within the Brady family and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization. Schefter then had to tweet this statement from Brady's agent, clarifying that what he reported may not have been confirmed. 

When reading and sharing news, audiences have to put in the work to evaluate if what they are reading is accurate. Unfortunately, so many people are trying to mislead others, but we can combat them by fact-checking and proving them wrong.