This post was originally published in 2019 and was updated in 2024
by Terrell Heck
1. In an article, headline, or social post, “who” says “what”? That is, what specific author and publication makes any kind of claim about what topic or ideas?
2. Is what is said or claimed fact or opinion?
3. Does this address look correct? (This is especially critical for “fact-based” headlines.) If so, by whose standards? Who will disagree with him and why? How can this be verified? Does the author use “gray areas” of “truth” in a way that seems designed to cause a stir, arouse doubt, influence thinking, or change readers’ minds?
4. Is this title completely “true”/accurate or is it instead based on partially correct information/data? Misinformation is often based on partial facts and then reformulated to fit a specific purpose: causing feelings like anger or fear that lead to an outcome of some kind: “like,” donate, buy, subscribe, vote, etc. .
5. Are there any logical fallacies embedded in the title itself—particularly straw arguments, emotional appeals, or charged language intended to polarize, rally, or otherwise “engage” readers?
6. Is the topic on which the headline is based important? Worth understanding more deeply?
7. Who will benefit from this if it is accepted as “truth”?
8. Is this information, angle, or “take” new or something that has been said before (and verified or debunked)?
9. Are the statements (fact-based) or position (opinion-based) inherent in the headline shared by other trusted publishers or do they go against the “status quo”? If the latter, how does that affect the title?
10. What basic information do I need to be able to evaluate its credibility? Where can I get more information about the topics in the headline to better assess its credibility? What do I gain or lose if I accept this as true?
11. Does the “news story” accurately represent the “big picture” or is it something “cherry-picked” (in or out of context) designed to elicit an emotional response in the reader?
For the second set of questions to think critically about news headlines, we turn to the News Literacy Project, a media standards project that has created a set of questions to help students think critically about news headlines.
12. Gauge your emotional reaction. Is it strong? Are you angry? Do you strongly hope that the information is true or false?
13. Think about how you would cope with this. Was it promoted on a website? Have you been featured in your social media feed? Did someone you know send it to you?
14. Think about the title or message:
A. Does he use excessive punctuation or capitalization for emphasis?
for. Is he claiming to have a secret or telling you something the media doesn’t want you to know?
C. Don’t stop at the title. Keep exploring!
15. Is this information designed to be easy to share, such as memes?
16. Consider the source of the information:
A. Is it a known source?
for. Is there a byline (author’s name) attached to this piece? Does this author have any specific expertise or experience?
C. Go to the About section of the website. Does the site describe itself as a “fiction news” or “satirical news” site? What else do you notice – or don’t notice?
17. Does the example you are evaluating contain a date?
18. Does the example cite a variety of sources, including official and expert sources? Does this example information appear in reports from (other) news outlets?
19. Does the example hyperlink to other quality resources?
20. Can you ensure, using reverse image search, that any images in your example are original (i.e. not altered or taken from another context)?
21. If you search for this example on a fact-checking site like snopes.com, Factcheck.org, or politifact.com, is there a fact-check that would rate it as less than true?
He remembers:
- It’s easy to clone an existing website and create fake tweets to trick people
- Artificial intelligence and “deepfakes” are becoming increasingly common
- Bots are active on social media, designed to control conversations and spread propaganda.
- Propaganda and/or disinformation often uses a real photo from an unrelated event.
- Spot examples of misinformation when you see it. It’s good for democracy!
You can download the full Checkology in pdf format here and find more resources at checkology.org