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How is it written?
Assess the quality of content and bias in presented material.
Essential tips:
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Identify the title of the article as clickbait if you recognize that the words are intentionally sensational or exaggerate an extreme message.
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Gauge your emotional reaction to the title and content of the article to determine if the language is provocative to manipulate your reception of the information.
Read skeptically and analyze the language of the article to determine if it demonizes a certain individual or opposing side.
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Look at elements of the article’s layout to see if the article is displayed in a professional format. A slapdash presentation of information may indicate false or skewed facts.
Take note of attempts the article makes to either cover up information with vague or missing details.
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Clickbait:
The word “clickbait” describes a dramatic headline of an article for the purpose of luring in readers. Article titles also may be sensational, meaning that it uses inflammatory language to elicit a strong emotion such as fear or anger. Clickbait is often used to draw people's attention, but rarely presents a completely accurate or unbiased description of the story. Many times the clickbait headline doesn't even match the article’s content. Clickbait articles are therefore primarily untrustworthy sources of information, and should be fact checked carefully.
Content Layout:
Professional content layout following a specific style or format adds at least a perception of visual authenticity to the article. Therefore, poor structure and improper presentation of content are usually strong indicators that a source or article is unreliable. Specific violations to watch out for include the following:
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Headlines in all caps and/or containing excessive punctuation
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Obviously photoshoped images
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Images that are irrelevant to the content of the article
Image URL: amusementic.com
Image URL: https://www.attn.com/
Image URL: amusementic.com
Explicit Attempts to Convey the Truth:
Ask yourself the following questions:
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Does the article include the other side by addressing opposing views and explaining disagreements?
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Is the article suspiciously vague or missing details that make it seem incomplete, potentially indicating omissions or a selective telling of the truth?
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Does the article include comments by specific organizations or have direct quotations presented in context?
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If a mistake was made, did author state the error and verify the correct information?
Example:
This article regarding Donald Trump’s executive order to roll back the Equal Pay Act contains multiple examples of exaggeration and bias. The title, “Donald Trump signs order making it easier for men to sexually harass women at work and get away with it,” serves as clickbait and exaggerates the content in the article. Equal pay between genders is the main subject of the news story, not sexual harassment as the title suggests. In addition, by opening with the word “accused,” the article instantly attempts to criminalize President Trump, demonstrating clear intentions to appeal to anti-Trump supporters.
Resources:
Extra list of red flags to check for when reading news articles.
For more information on false, misleading, and clickbait sources, click here.