SIFT Method
News Sources on the Political Spectrum
AllSides is a news website that presents multiple sources side by side in order to provide the full scope of news reporting.
The AllSides Bias Ratings page allows you to filter a list of news sources by bias (left, center, right).
AllSides uses a patented bias rating system to classify news sources as left, center, or right-leaning. Components of the rating system include crowd-sourcing, surveys, internal research, and the use of third-party sources such as Wikipedia and research conducted by Groseclose and Milyo at UCLA. Note that while the Groseclose & Milyo results are popular, the methodology it is not without critique.
INTERACTIVE Media Bias Chart by Vanessa Otero
The chart was created by Vanessa Otero, a patent attorney, who delivered a webinar to librarians on Information Literacy. Click on the chart below to go to an interactive and more recent version of Otero's Media Bias Chart. On version 5.0 (beta) users can search individual newspaper titles to see where they fall on the spectrum of liberal or conservative, based on Otero's/Ad Fontes Media's evaluation system.
Fact-checking Sites
Use fact-checking resources like these to help you determine whether what you read or hear is true. But keep in mind that even fact-checking websites should be examined critically.
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FactCheck.org
Checks the accuracy of political statements, news, and claims. A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. -
LinkedIn
This professional networking site can be used to check the qualifications and expertise of authors.
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Media Bias / Fact Check
Aims to call biased or deceptive news and media practices -
PolitiFact
Nonpartisan fact-checking website to sort out the truth in American politics. The site's "Truth-o-meter" helps separate "fact from fiction" in political statements, including advertisements, from races around the country. -
The Poynter Institute / Fact-Checking Resources
The world’s leading resource for journalists to engage and inform the public in democratic societies. -
Snopes.com
Since 1995 this site has been used to fact-check "urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation." -
Washington Post Fact Checker
Fact checks political and governmental topics.
Test Your Evaluation Skills
- Spot the Troll
The quiz where YOU examine images of real social media content and decide whether it's from a legitimate account or an internet troll. - Factitious
Test your skills at spotting fake news with this game, from American University.