When big news breaks, it's easy to get caught up in following the news online. But while the internet—from major news sites to Twitter—can be a valuable place to find useful information, it also can be a source of misinformation. Understanding the news and how to separate fact from fiction is an important job for anyone who consumes news.
Interpreting Breaking News
Video: Social Media: Is Your Breaking News Broken?
Here's some advice on consuming breaking news:
Remember, breaking news is often wrong. In the rush to cover stories, reporters make mistakes, officials don't always have correct information, and tidbits that sound plausible often get passed around before anyone has checked for accuracy. The most famous example is when the Chicago Daily Tribune printed "Dewey Defeats Truman" on its front page in 1948 when the truth was actually the opposite.
Use social media wisely. Social media gives everyone the power to share to spread breaking news right when it happens -- often in real time. This can be both a good and bad thing. Twitter can have real time updates in the first few minutes of a tragedy, but it can also be messy and largely inaccurate. On the other hand, Facebook can be a great way to connect with friends affected by news and to spread personal news within a more limited circle. For example: "I've heard from family in Florida, and everyone's OK after the hurricane." (Of course, news links posted by friends on Facebook might contain unverified information, so take them with a grain of salt.)
Be skeptical. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. After the Boston Marathon bombing, NBC Sports reported that some runners kept running all the way to the hospital to donate blood for the victims. Not true. There are plenty of websites devoted to debunking fake news stories, such as Snopes, Urban Legends Online, and FactCheck. Visit them to find out whether a story is true. You can see a list of these websites here.
Stand back; take a break. With social media at your fingertips, it's tempting to weigh in with your opinion or pass along every tidbit that comes along. But restraint is necessary to avoid adding to the noise and confusion. We like the reasonable approach taken by NPR reporter Steve Inskeep, who cautioned listeners during a day of breaking news, "We are collecting dots. It's a day to be careful about connecting them."
Stick with credible news sources. News sources that claim to have all the answers or jump to conclusions about why something happened are just adding to the fray. And remember that cable news channels make money off the news—the more titillating the story, the more eyeballs who watch and the more money they make. Make sure you aren't falling victim to fake news. If you aren't sure if a news source is credible, look over the story for types of bias.
Fact Checking:
This list will point you in the right direction, toward sites and apps with vetted, fact-based, and fact-checked work. There are kid-friendly news sites and apps that adapt journalism to different reading levels and sensibilities as well as primary and secondary research resources from leading institutions like the Smithsonian and NASA.
Media literacy matters, especially as it relates to the news and the web. There are a lot of tools out there to help you build and practice these essential skills, and on this list, we feature some of the best we've found. You'll find great apps and websites broken down into three core categories: those that help evaluate media, those that help create media, and those of credible sources.
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