Reliable

A G2 Guide to Finding Trustworthy Sources

 Table of Contents

The Mission 1

Types of Mis/Disinformation 2

Conducting Research 3

Who Wrote It? 4

Where to Learn More 5

Our Sources 6
 The Mission

In the media today we have found that it can be difficult to find trustworthy sources and

often find false information being spread. We live in a society where information on nearly all

global events has been made readily available, yet it is incredibly difficult to find this

information in an unbiased format. Bias is seen in the news today as outlets are oftentimes

editorialized and clouded with opinion and political standpoints, while claiming to be factual.

Through this research guide, we hope to help others learn the importance of using reliable

sources and how to avoid falling victim to misinformation and disinformation.

The G2 News Team

1
 Types of Mis and Disinformation
Misinformation and disinformation are key players in the spread of false information, so it is
important to know how to spot them in the media.

It is first important to differentiate between misinformation and disinformation:

Misinformation: information that is misleading or false and typically spread by those

without the realization that it is false

Disinformation: information that is created and shared with the intent to mislead others

Types of Mis/Disinformation:

1. Context
- Information can easily be taken from one piece of content and placed into another,
changing the meaning. This can be done with quotes, statements, and visual
media.

2. Satire
- Satire and jokes can be presented by others as credible information.

3. Doctored Visuals
- Photos and videos can be edited to show something that never happened or make
it look as though a person said something they never did.

4. Fabricated Content
- Information that is completely false, but presented in a manner that makes it look
legitimate.

5. Fake Content From a Public Figure or Well Known Brand

- Content that has been edited to look like it is from one of these individuals or
brands, when in reality it has not.

2
 Conducting Research

Now that we have given some examples of what false information looks like, it is time to provide
some tips on how to avoid being misled.

1. Fact Check
- All this takes is a quick internet search to see if other credible media outlets are
reporting the same information.

2. Watch For Key Phrases

- Phrases such as “let that sink in,” “there are no coincidences,” “do your own
research,” and “the media won’t report this” are signs of opinion and not fact.

3. Reverse Image Search

- If an article or social media post includes a photo without a citation, use Google
Reverse Image Search to find the original source of the photo to make sure it is
not being used out of context. Visual media can be twisted and interpreted to
support the claims of a misleading source.

4. Look Into the Reporting Source

- Plenty of “news” outlets just want to increase ratings and draw attention, so they
will use things like clickbait. It is important to look into the kind of events these
sources report and check to see if they have a reputation for making false claims.
Also, it is key to check where these outlets get their information from (is there a
citation/direct quote).
- When looking for news on niche topics, finding coverage from a bigger news
outlet can be difficult. When finding information from a smaller news outlet, it is
important to verify the source and double check the information. There is nothing
wrong with supporting a smaller outlet but there is a higher risk for
misinformation being spread.

3
 Who Wrote It?
When reading an article it is important to note who is reporting the information in order to avoid
falling for the spread of fake news. Here are a few steps to take when reading an article to ensure
that your information is coming from a reliable source.

1. Citations
- First, check to see if the article has cited who wrote it, otherwise it can be extra
difficult to tell where the information stated came from and whether or not it is
true.

2. Use Lateral Reading

- This means when reading an article online, it is a good idea to open other tabs and
research the author and claims made. Double check the claims by looking at other
sources to see if the topic was covered similarly. Essentially, leaving the source to
understand if it is a good source.

3. Credentials
- It is important to research the author of a source in order to see if they have the
right expertise to be writing about a certain topic (not reporting on an event, but
when providing their own information/findings). If the article is about a specific
event, it is important to note if the reporter was there or if they used quotes from
those who were there. Another tip is to check the news outlets’ guidelines on how
they tackle fact checking and ensure ethical journalism in order to make sure you
are getting your information from a resource that cares about spreading the truth.

4. Opinion Piece
- There is nothing wrong with reading an opinion piece; however, it is incredibly
important to note if the article you are reading is an opinion or not. Typically, the
news outlet will put an “opinion” title over the article, so it is usually quite clear.
If the author wrote about their opinion, this information should not be taken or
spread as if it is factual.

4
 Where to Learn More
We hope everyone continues to learn more about how to find reliable information and avoid
being fooled by false information. Below are a list of some resources to use in order to become
better equipped when navigating the media.

News Literacy Project

https://newslit.org/

Civic Online Reasoning

https://cor.stanford.edu/

Critical Media Project

https://criticalmediaproject.org/

Media Literacy Now

https://medialiteracynow.org/

5
 Our Sources
News Literacy Project: A Guide to Understanding - and Debunking -
Misinformation
https://newslit.org/updates/understanding-and-dubunking-misinformation/

Forbes:10 Journalism Brands Where You Find Real Facts Rather Than Alternative
Facts
https://www.forbes.com/sites/berlinschoolofcreativeleadership/2017/02/01/10-journalism
-brands-where-you-will-find-real-facts-rather-than-alternative-facts/

News Literacy Project: In Brief: Misinformation

https://newslit.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Misinfo_inBrief_NNLW.pdf

Stevenson University: How to identify reliable information

https://www.stevenson.edu/online/about-us/news/how-to-identify-reliable-information/

Check Yourself with Lateral Reading: Crash Course Navigating Digital Information
#3
https://youtu.be/GoQG6Tin-1E

NPR: Fake Or Real? How to Self-Check The News and Get the Facts
https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/12/05/503581220/fake-or-real-how-t
o-self-check-the-news-and-get-the-facts

American Press Institute: Six questions that will tell you what media to trust
https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/publications/six-critical-questions-can-use-evalua
te-media-content/

News Literacy Project: In Brief: Confirmation Bias and Motivated Reasoning

https://newslit.org/educators/resources/in-brief-confirmation-bias-motivated-reasoning

Civic Online Reasoning: Intro to Who’s Behind the Information?

https://cor.stanford.edu/curriculum/lessons/intro-to-whos-behind-the-information