Alva Review-Courier -

Back in the old days when TV was only black and white, there was a program named Dragnet. A favorite phrase of Joe Friday, the main law enforcement officer in the series, was “Just the facts, ma'mm (or sir).” When he took witness statements, he wanted to eliminate all speculation and guessing.

In today’s world when we’re inundated by information from many sources, it can be difficult to weed out fact from fiction. How do we determine “just the facts?”

Kathleen Lourde, who serves as our second pair of eyes for all news stories, recently sent me an article addressing the problem. It’s a suggested activity for students based on a 2018 study by a couple of Harvard researchers.

The student activity suggests first that students do a vertical examination of two articles on bullying from similarly named sources. This means simply reading the article and, if online, looking at how it is presented. The articles were published originally by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Pediatrics. Then the students choose which article is most credible.

In the second examination of the bullying articles, students are asked to evaluate them by visiting the websites of the two organizations and looking for further information. This is lateral reading since they read about the organizations across the internet.

In each case, the students are asked questions about how they decided which article is most credible.

It is suggested students later bring in news articles or studies they come across on the internet or social media so their classmates can practice what they’ve learned.

Here are some of the strategies to help you in lateral reading:

• Search for the organization on Wikipedia and follow the references at the bottom of the page to find out more about the organization.

• Look up who owns the domain of the website.

• Use fact-checking websites to evaluate the information, such as PolitiFact, Snopes, the Washington Post’s Fact Checker, or NPR’s Fact Check.

In addition, the Crash Course video Check Yourself with Lateral Reading provides an explanation of lateral reading and techniques that students can use.

Fact Checkers Rank Highest

The 2018 study referred to above compared how well three diverse groups check the credibility of articles. In the study, they used three groups: students, historians and fact checkers. They found that college students and trained historians struggled to evaluate the online sources shown to them because they read vertically, focusing on the information within the original website. Fact checkers were able to quickly determine the credibility of websites by reading laterally, meaning they opened multiple tabs in their browsers to read what other sources say about the website.

How to Fact-Check the Internet

Then I found an article on the Scholastic website directed toward students. It said 82 percent of middle schoolers didn’t know the difference between a real news story and sponsored content. Here are some common mistakes:

• Reading Only a Headline: One study found that 59 percent of links shared on social media don’t get clicked. Don’t just believe the grabby headline – take time to read and understand the story.

• Thinking That First Means Best: Just because a site ends up in the top search spot doesn’t mean it’s the most reliable source (look for the words “sponsored” or “ad”).

• Getting Wowed by Cool Visuals: Research shows that teens find data-filled charts and well-designed sites persuasive, but don’t judge something on looks alone. Anyone can make a fancy-looking website or infographic. Always check where the data came from.

• Falling for a Trick URL: Fake news sites copy the names of real ones to get clicks, so always look at the URLSs and beware of an extra domain after .com (abcnews.com.co) or a twist on a real URL (nytimesofficial.com instead of nytimes.com).

• Not Realizing a Post is an Ad: Brands pay influencers and websites to be featured in stories, videos, and posts. If you see the words “Sponsored content,” #ad, “paid partnership,” or “presented by,” it’s not neutral. Someone is trying to sell you something.

Here are some questions fact checkers use in their “lateral reading,” opening up several tabs at a time and searching for more details:

• Who is behind the info and can you trust them?

• What’s the evidence?

• What do other sources say?

Fact-Checking Websites

• Snopes. Over the years, Snopes has been the go-to place for fact-checking myths and rumors as well as de-bunking half-truths and outrageous claims.

• PolitiFact. This website is all about political claims. It’s run by the prestigious Poynter Institute (founder of International Fact-Checking Network) and reporters from the independent Tampa Bay Times.

• FactCheck.org. This is one of the most popular fact-checking websites on the internet, and it has garnered several Webby awards.

• ProPublica. This is an independent online newsroom that thrives on investigative journalism.

• OpenSecrets. This is another website that operates in the political realm. In addition to speeches and claims, it tracks how a politician is being funded.

• Washington Post Fact Checker. It does not fact-check every claim on politics and the economy. Instead it offers critical analysis to what politicians have said this week.

• SM Hoax Slayer. This is all about busting fake information on social media platforms.