Quick Tips to Fact-Check Like a Pro

Master Lateral Reading and Value Checking to Separate Truth from Fiction

Image from Kids Boost Immunity

What skills separate professional fact-checkers from everyone else? A study investigated this and found that professional fact-checkers detect false and biased information by using lateral reading—quickly verifying claims by consulting multiple reputable sources. In contrast, the study found that people who were not professional fact-checkers (college students and historians) relied on vertical reading, evaluating websites based on their appearance or content alone. Only looking at information within the article itself made them more susceptible to false information. This study is part of a growing body of research showing how teaching lateral reading significantly improves the ability to assess online credibility.

How to Do Lateral Reading:

1. Stop and Identify the Source: Pause and ask yourself: who created this information, and why should you trust them? (e.g., A health claim from a reputable medical journal vs. a blogpost selling supplements without scientific citations).

2. Open Multiple Tabs: Search for information about the author, publication, or organization. See if they have a history of spreading false or biased information or if they are recognized as credible experts.

3. Cross-Check Claims: Look for coverage of the same topic from other reputable sources (e.g. Reuters and The Associated Press). You can use this tool as a guide to identify biased news outlets. Compare their reporting and see if there is a consensus.

4. Use Fact-Checking Sites: Websites like PolitiFact & FactCheck.org can help verify or debunk claims. Cross-checking debunks across different fact-checking sites can further improve accuracy.

5. Apply the SIFT Method (Stop, Investigate, Find, Trace):

   • Stop and reflect before sharing or believing the information.

   • Investigate the source using lateral reading.

   • Find better coverage from reliable sources.

   • Trace the information back to its original context to avoid distorted claims.

Value Checking: Adding Context to Source Evaluation

In addition to lateral reading, value checking is another strategy that helps assess the credibility of a source by identifying its potential biases and underlying values. For example, a news site funded by a political group may frame climate change differently from a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Knowing this helps you weigh the source's reliability. It’s similar to lateral reading, but focuses on examining factors such as:

• Ideological Stance: Does the source have a known political, corporate, or social agenda?

• Funding and Affiliations: Who funds the organization, and could this influence their reporting?

• Transparency: Does the source clearly disclose its methodology, corrections policy, and sources?

• Accountability: Does the source correct errors and respond to criticism?

Value checking complements lateral reading by ensuring that the sources used for verification are credible and transparent. Together, these techniques help users navigate the online information landscape with greater confidence and accuracy. Finally, it’s important to be mindful of our own ideological biases and maintain a diverse set of social identities to decrease our vulnerability to misinformation (as I wrote about here). Enhancing media literacy, combined with awareness of our social biases, provides a powerful safeguard against believing false information.