Fake News: Source Evaluation: Fake News about Covid-19

• Johns Hopkins University: Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Global Health Now: COVID-19 Expert Reality Check
• Ministry of Health of Malaysia
• NIH. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

WHO: How to Report Misinformation Online

Provides reporting links for popular social media sites: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and more.

• WHO Myth Busters

  Collection of the most prevelant myths about COVID-19.

• COVID: Top 10 Current Conspiracy Theories

  As the COVID-19 crisis worsens, the world also faces a global misinformation pandemic.

AFP Malaysia. The leading global fact-checking organisation, with dedicated journalists in countries from the United States to Myanmar. 

 

    

FactCheck.org: A nonpartisan, non-profit project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Coronavirus factchecks available on this platform, but to see their Coronavirus coverage guide or SciCheck feature, check out the two resources immediately below. 

 

FactCheck.org: Coronavirus Coverage: a guide to FactCheck.org's coverage of coronavirus facts. 

 

FactCheck.org: SciCheck: The SciCheck feature focuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy. 

 

Politifact: Owned by the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Poliifact is a non-profit national news organization. Uses Truth-o-meter to present the relative accuracy of the statement. 

 

PunditFact: A project of the Poynter Institute, dedicated to checking the accuracy of claims by pundits, columnists, bloggers, political analysts, the hosts and guests of talk shows, and other members of the media.

 

Snopes: A  non-partisan reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation. 

Fact-Checking: The Facts

#1: Evaluate, Evaluate, Evaluate

Use criteria to evaluate a source. In Libraries, we often use the CRAAP Test* to evaluate websites, and these criteria are useful for evaluating news as well. These criteria are:​

• ​Currency: is the information current? Many times on Facebook, you will click on a story and notice that the date was from a few months or years ago, but your "friends" are acting outraged as if it is happening in the moment.
• Relevance: is the information important to your research needs? This criterion perhaps applies most if you are out seeking information, rather than just stumbling across it. Does the information relate to your question and at the appropriate-level (elementary/advanced)? Have you looked at a variety of sources before selecting this one?
• Authority: who is the author/publisher/sponsor of the news? Do they have authority on the subject? Do they have an agenda? 
• Accuracy: Is the information supported by evidence? Does the author cite credible sources? Is the information verifiable in other places?
• Purpose: What is the purpose of this news? To outrage? To call to action? To inform? To sell? This can give you clues about bias.

#2: Google It! 

If you found out something via social media, you should take 5 seconds and just Google it! More often than not, a Google search will show:

• If other reputable news sites are reporting on the same thing
• If a fact-check website has already debunked the claim
• If only biased news organizations are reporting the claim -- in this case, it may require more digging.

Most of the time, 5 seconds is all you need before you hit the angry, the like, the love, or - WORSE! - the share button!

 

#3: Get News from News Sources

One of the easiest ways to avoid the trap of fake news to begin with may seem obvious:

Go directly to credible news websites for your news.

Relying on Facebook to see what is "trending" or what is being shared across your newsfeed means you have to verify every single meme or news article you come across. Why not rely on news apps on your phone that go to news websites for that?

• Agence France-Presse

  Agence France-Presse is an international news agency headquartered in Paris, France.

• Associated Press

  An independent, non-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City.

• Berita Semasa

Current News online, breaking news, Malaysian news and the world with in-depth coverage with videos and photos exclusively on current issues.

• Bernama

Malaysia general- Find business, politics, sports and features news about Malaysia.

• Borneo Post Online

Latest business, sports and national news related to Malaysia on this site.

• Buzzing Malaysia

An infotainment and lifestyle blog site that shares with you the latest Malaysian & International entertainment news & activities.

• Christianity Malaysia

Malaysia's most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.

• Free Malaysia Today

One of Malaysia's most accessed news sites, with more than 1.5 million pageviews daily - and growing.

• Herald Malaysia

Daily news source with Malaysian and Global coverage of the Catholic Churches. Catholic News,World Christian News, Malaysia Church News.

• Kosmo Online

 Latest local, sports, entertainment, commerce news and much more related to Malaysia.

• Malayskini

An award-winning independent news provider. The editorial is built on fast, accurate and independent news, well-informed and diverse views.

• Malaysianews.net

A long-standing Malaysian news site providing updated reports from across the nation, including coverage of major cities such as the capital Kuala Lumpur.

• Malaysia Chronicle

Latest news related to Malaysia on this site.

• Malaysian Mirror

An online platform to show the Image of Democracy of Malaysia. Let's take part in the Democratic Movement of Malaysia and show the beautiful image of Malaysia to the whole world.

• Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC)

Promotes market expansion of Malaysian palm oil through image enhancement and creating awareness of techno-economic advantages and environmental sustainability and provides news on malaysian palm oil.

• Malaysia Today

 Latest news and commentry related to malaysia.

• Reuters

  The world's largest international multimedia news agency.

• Sarawak Report

An investigative journalism online news resource that offers an alternative vision of justice, transparency and a fairer future in Sarawak and Malaysia.

• SAYS Malaysia

Malaysia's social news network. Curate, share, and discuss Malaysia's biggest stories.

• The Malaysian Reserve

A business news and information provider. TMR has expanded from solely a print-based medium to a multiplatform media company.

• The Malay Mail Online | Malaysia

An independent online newspaper that covers the news of the day, whether it is in the field of politics or lifestyle.

• Utama

Latest Malaysian News

• Utusan Online

Latest business, sports,entertainment and national news related to Malaysia.

Keep in mind that even some reputable news sites have biases and may tell the facts in different ways.

• British Broadcasting Company

• National Public Radio

• New York Times

• Wall Street Journal

• The Washington Post

• All Sides

  All Sides says that its mission is to: "expose bias and provide multiple angles on the same story so you can quickly get the full picture, not just one slant."
  
  All Sides displays the same news stories from multiple news outlets (along with their rating of their conservative or liberal bias). This is a great way to learn how the same story is reported differently in different outlets.

 

#4: Distinguish Opinion from Fact

Even news websites and programs have spaces or shows dedicated to people's opinions of news stories. In newspapers, these sections may be called:

• Editorials
• Letters to the Editor
• Op-Eds
• Opinion

Opinion shows many times now dominate cable news sources. You may agree with the opinions presented, or they may contextualize the facts for you in a way that makes sense. However, realize they are presenting the facts in a way that meets their agenda and think for yourself: How might "the other side" present these same facts?

Examples of opinion shows on news channels are:

• The O'Reilly Factor
• Hardball with Chris Matthews
• Fox & Friends
• The Rachel Maddow Show
• Anderson Cooper 360

 

#5: Watch out for red flags!

• Does the link end with .co instead of .com?
• Are there small disclaimers, something that says "satire"?
• When you click on a story in social media, is it a story that is outdated? Why is it being circulated now?
• Is it posted by so-and-so? ...We all have that one friend on social media.