News: Information about current events. This may be provided through many different media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, and the testimony of observers and witnesses to events. It is also used as a platform to manufacture opinion for the population.
Fake News: Stories that appear to be real news but are 100% false. The stories are intentionally fabricated information rather than a mistake or error that may end up in an otherwise accurate news story. Fake news is a type of journalism or propaganda that consists of deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional print and broadcast news media or online social media.
Fake News Websites: Also referred to as hoax news websites. Internet websites that deliberately publish fake news -- hoaxes, propaganda, and disinformation purporting to be real news -- often using social media to drive web traffic and amplify their effect.
Biased News: A term that is often used to label news that provides information someone disagrees with. However, bias in news can refer to numerous scenarios where a journalist is gearing their work towards favoring a particular group or world view. This can be political, but there can also be a commercial bias, a bias towards particular voices, or even a bias towards "false balance."
Confirmation Bias: Our tendency to seek, interpret, and recall information or evidence in such a way that it confirms that which we already believe to be true. For example, when we want to know if wine is good for us, we likely search “wine good for you” rather than “wine bad for you,” ensuring that the results we get are skewed toward what we would like to be true.
Fallacies: A failure in reasoning, or a mistaken belief. There are many different types of fallacies. A false dichotomy is one example. In argument, it is when we present an opponent with only two options, e.g. if you care this much about the treatment of animals, you must hate people.
Filter Bubble: The resulting limited, likely biased view of the world around us that results from only being exposed to certain ideas, people, customs, concerns, etc., especially online via social media.
Misleading News: News that may contain some accurate information but that may create confusion or lead a reader towards a false conclusion.
Opinion: Statements that may or may not be based on fact but convey judgment or emotion rather than facts. For example, "That politician is a horrible person" is an opinion, whereas "That politician voted against protecting wildlife" may be a fact that leads a person to that opinion.
As a researcher and personal consumer of news, it is your responsibility to think critically about and evaluate the news sources you wish to cite.
This guide will help you understand the parts and types of news articles, what to look for in news articles, and where to find additional research about a news article, publisher, or journalist.
