One of the best ways to evaluate your news sources is to use a fact checker. Fact checking websites are dedicated to unbiased fact checking of news stories from various sources. Many of the stories are politically based, but they also fact-check the news outside of politics.
Snopes is one of the most popular fact-checking websites. It started as a website to debunk urban legends and hoaxes, and has evolved into reporting on the news and fact-checking. Snopes is independently owned, and contains a mixture of articles from the Associated Press and fact-checks.
FactCheck.Org is a product of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Their mission is to "reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics", and they aim to be nonpartisan.
Politifact is owned by The Poytner Institute for Media Studies. Their goal is to be unbiased and nonpartisan, and cite the sources they use in their fact-checking stories. The use a Truth-O-Meter to rate news stories and social media claims on a spectrum of factual accuracy. This is a good tool to use to refute those new stories your relatives are posting on Facebook!
