Evaluating Media & Digital Information
Our Civic Engagement Librarians have produced this Evaluating Media & Digital Information guide to help you with Fact-Checking Resources, Build Your Critical Thinking and Librarian Curated Lists.
Fact-Checking Resources
AP Fact Check
The Associated Press is a nonprofit news agency that operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. This section of their website features fact-checking and misinformation coverage from AP journalists around the globe.
FactCheck.org
A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that focuses on fact-checking U.S. political players (including politicians, commentators, and bloggers). FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
Politifact
A nonprofit news organization owned by the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. It is known for its Truth-o-meter which rates facts on a scale from “True” to “Pants on Fire.”
Snopes
Snopes is an independent organization that offers a mixture of fact-checking and original reporting. They started out in the 90s investigating urban legends, hoaxes, and folklore; they now a wide variety of topics including politics, coronavirus, viral social media posts, and more.
Build Your Critical Thinking
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media offers reviews of movies, TV, books, and games so parents or teachers can make informed decisions about what their children watch. They also have educational pages on topics such as:
WabiSabi Learning
This website offers resources for educators with a whole section devoted to critical thinking. They offer a colorful, simple Cheatsheet for Critical Thinking.
Factitious
This online ‘game’ tests your ability to spot fictitious articles. It is updated every couple of years; the 2020 edition focuses on COVID-19 articles.
Navigating Digital Information from Crash Course
The popular YouTube channel Crash Course, partnered with MediaWise, The Poynter Institute, and The Stanford History Education Group to teach a course in hands-on skills to evaluate the information you read online. The internet is full of information, a lot of it notably wrong. This course arms you with the skills to separate the good stuff from the inaccurate stuff, and browse the internet with confidence.