Who
Is there an author or multiple authors?
What else have they written?
What are the author’s affiliations?
What
Is a source for any facts or claims indicated?
What evidence is presented to support assumptions or conclusions?
Do other sources agree with the information presented?
When
How current is the information?
Has significant research been done since the item was published?
Has it been updated?
Why
How is this article supposed to affect the reader?
Does the author have a hidden agenda?
Does the author have a stated agenda?
Where
What is the review process?
What types of sources does the publisher typically publish?
Does the publisher have a reputation?
A nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters. A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center.
FactCheck.org’s SciCheck feature focuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy.
From by the Center for Responsible Politics; non-profit, non-partisan. Also lists where candidates get their money.
A project of the Poynter Institute, dedicated to checking the accuracy of claims by pundits, columnists, bloggers, political analysts, the hosts and guests of talk shows, and other members of the media.
AllSides focuses solely on political bias. It places sources in one of five boxes — “Left,” “Lean Left,” “Center,” “Lean Right” and “Right.” It does not measure accuracy or reliability of claims of publications.
Rates both reliability and political bias of news sources and places them as coordinates on a spectrum within its chart.
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Some icons by Yusuke Kamiyamane. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.