Research Guides News Sources Fake News And Misinformation

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 30, 2025, 9:52 PM

research guides news sources fake news and misinformation

Click on the "About the News Media" tab above for a list of academic and research organizations studying journalism and the news media. Also included is information on professional ethical standards for journalists. Call the Wilson Library front desk to get help by phone during open hours, or leave a voicemail for next-day follow-up. Use the web form to email us. We respond within 1 to 2 business days. Real people, no bots.

All day and night, with help from librarians everywhere. Need help determining if something is real, fake or fraudulent? Ask a librarian! We may not know the answer immediately, but we are happy to investigate a suspicious claim. This Chat service is staffed by PCC librarians during most library open hours, and by partner librarians 24/7. Click the button to open the chat window.

Using research sources that you can trust is more important than ever. Recent research studies have shown that asking people to “do the research” on fake news stories makes them seem more believable, not less. This happens because a Google search on a fake topic may retrieve multiple results from low-quality information sources that can mislead the researcher into believing that the false story is real. Find reliable research sources by searching trustworthy news sources and library databases, which provide access to published information in magazines and academic journals. Library databases provide access to published articles from magazines, newspapers, and academic journals. Unlike some of the search results you will get from a web search, the published articles in databases are almost always written by (human) professionals and reviewed by an editor, which improves reliability.

Learn more in this 4 minute video: What Are Library Databases? View an accessible version of the Fake News infographic. Using library databases is a near-foolproof way to find credible information. U.S. government information and background: Fake news and the spread of misinformation From the Shorenstein Center at the Harvard Kennedy School, links to peer-reviewed articles.

NiemanReports: Election '16: Lessons for Journalism From the Nieman Foundation at Harvard; several articles on fake news and news literacy Fake news is not news you disagree with. "Fake news" is "fabricated information that mimics news media content in form but not in organizational process or intent. Fake-news outlets, in turn, lack the news media's editorial norms and processes for ensuring the accuracy and credibility of information. Fake news overlaps with other information disorders, such as misinformation (false or misleading information) and disinformation (false information that is purposely spread to deceive people)." [David M. J.

Lazer, et al., "The Science of Fake News," Science 09 Mar 2018: Vol. 359, Issue 6380, pp. 1094-1096.]. Look for labels: a corporate logo. Or a tiny statement indicating Paid Post, Advertisement, or Sponsored by. Or the tiny Ad Choices triangle at the upper right corner of an image.

Examples: Here's a list of former and recent fake news sites: Wikipedia's list of fake news websites. Did your mother call you to tell you that liberals hate science? Did your Facebook feed pop up with an article on a new pesticide that's going to kill us all? Did one of your friends breathlessly tell you that President Trump was going to pardon mass shooter Dylann Roof? You might have heard any or all of these stories, but there's one thread connecting all of them: they're not true. The ability to tell accurate news from fake news is an important skill that you'll use for the rest of your life.

This research guide will give you insights on telling fact from fiction online, plus a chance to exercise your newfound skills. Why should you care about whether your news is real or fake? Thank you to our colleagues at Indiana University East for Creative Commons licensing their guide, on which we've based ours. Please feel free to share this guide with others. If you are a librarian, you are welcome to use this guide and its contents for your own purposes. When consuming information of any type, it is vital to understand misinformation and what has now been called fake news.

Although this term has been highly politicized it is important to understand that in the context of information literacy, fake news has been spread widely especially on social media platforms. In addition, misinformation is everywhere and it is important for the average person to begin to recognize this part of our digital and multimedia world and develop strategies to not become a victim of... Clickbait: Definition: something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest. (Merriam Webster) Fake News Definition: A concerted effort by a website or other form of media to fabricate information in order to influence political opinion or win financial gain. Example: In an effort to spread vaccine disinformation, a claim appeared in an article (archived here) titled "CEO of Pfizer arrested, charged with fraud - media blackout - Conservative Beaver" published by ConservativeBeaver.com on...

Propaganda Definition: Information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation. It intends to build support for an ideology or leader and demonizing the opposition. Modern propaganda goes beyond the traditional physical media (posters, flyers, etc.) to include name-calling and bandwagoning (especially on social media). This can also include memes and mainstream partisan news. A fact is a statement that can be verified. A statement of opinion is not a fact.

Fact-checkers work with content that is written; they do not research new material. Fact-checkers read the document in question and identify and extract all content in need of fact checking. Learn more about the differences between facts and opinions in the video below. The resources below provide fact-checking to assess the truth of claims made in political statements, social media posts, and news coverage. The resources below provide updates regarding what publications have been recently retracted as well as a list of ethical standards for publications to follow. Need help?

Email us at asktulibrary@temple.edu Short, easy to read introduction to information behavior, critical thinking, metaliteracy, and its role in fake news. Great primer for anyone who wants to better understand the fake news phenomenon. Traces the development of the post-truth phenomenon from science denial through the rise of "fake news," from our psychological blind spots to the public's retreat into information silos. Exploration of complex socio-economic and political topics related to the economy of the United States, such as the federal budget, wasteful spending, the national debt, unemployment, and social security. Presents the facts behind the fake news, half-truths and general misinformation from the annoying headlines and memes cluttering social media.

An analysis by philosophers of the nuts and bolts of the information market, the attention economy and media eco-system which may pave the way to post-factual democracy. David E. McGraw recounts his experiences as the top newsroom lawyer for The New York Times. McGraw is at the center of the editors' decisions about what news is fit to print. An exclusive look inside the hard legal decisions behind some of the Times's most controversial and impactful stories of the twenty-first century.

Research Guides News Sources Fake News And Misinformation

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NiemanReports: Election '16: Lessons For Journalism From The Nieman Foundation