General Issues Research: News and Social Media

How Do You Stay Informed?

Easiest Quiz in the World

NEW! Election Misinformation (NYT)

Internet Censorship with The Filter Bubble (attack of the Show  short video)

Eli Pariser (Upworthy short video) 

"It will be very hard for people to watch or consume something that has not in some sense been tailored for them." ~ Eric Schmidt, Google

Is it PARODY, BIAS or FALSE? Balanced News or Opinion? Credible?

1. The Babylon Bee

2. The Blaze

3. ShareBlue

4. Al Jazeera

5. Your News Wire

6. Merinews

7. BBC

8. The Gateway Pundit

9. ProPublica

10. FAIR

11. Just Facts

12. American Academy of Pediatrics

13.  American College of Pediatrics

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  A website that checks claims, myths, rumors and misinformation in order to provide accurate information on a variety of topics.
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  A fact-checking website that looks into claims made by politicians.
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  A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center that focuses on clarifying political claims.
• Open Secrets

  Open Secrets is a nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, run by the Center for Responsive Politics. The group focuses on reporting political donations.
• AllSides

  AllSides provides multiple different views of the same story which allows for a much rounder picture of the subject. Instead of just news from the right or left, AllSides covers every side, including the middle.
• Media Bias/Fact Check

  Media Bias/Fact Check is an independent website that educates the public on bias in the media.

"Alternative facts": Phrase used by used by Kellyanne Conway, U.S. Advisor to President Trump, when explaining discrepancies of attendees reported at inaugural events.
Born digital: Content found on the internet that has not been published in print.
Cherry-picking: Using only select fact to sway the reader, ignoring the facts that may offer a complete story.
Clickbait: Digital content that uses persuasive tactics and inflammatory language to attract visitors to a site.
​Column, Blog, Editorial, Opinion: an article that gives an opinion on a topical issue that reflects the writer's personal views.
Confirmation bias: the tendency to seek out information that confirms one's pre-existing beliefs and reject opposing views.
Deep Fake: Artificial intelligence bases technique used to create false videos that appear authentic.
Echo effect: The effect of having our own opinions constantly echoed back to us, which reinforces our individual belief system.
Filter bubble: The result of online tools that use algorithmic methods to "learn" what information is preferred by a reader.
Hoax: A humorous or malicious deception (lie).
Parody: An exaggerated imitation of something used to entertain or provide a message, lesson or commentary.
Post-Truth: Used to describe a circumstance where emotion and bias are more important and believed than facts.
Satire: The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize. 
Verify: To demonstrate that something is true, accurate, or justified.
Vetted: The use of thorough investigation to evaluate someone or something.