Media literacy means understanding how news, social media, and entertainment shape the way we think and act. It’s about asking questions, not just scrolling.

• Who made this? (Is it a legitimate source or a random user?) 

• What is the purpose? (To inform, persuade, sell, or mislead?) 

• Where did it come from? (Reliable site or suspicious link?) 

• When was it posted? (Old info shared out of context?) 

• Why is it being shared now? (Pushing a political agenda?)

• Sensational headlines (“SHOCKING!” or “UNBELIEVABLE!”) 

• Emotional language that triggers anger or fear

• Cropped images or out-of-context videos 

• No sources or suspicious sources 

• Possible bot accounts spreading the same message

• Snopes.com – Debunk viral claims

• PolitiFact.com – Fact-check political statements 

• MediaBiasFactCheck.com – Review source bias 

• Google Reverse Image Search – Verify if images are old or reused

No news source is 100% neutral. That’s okay,  but recognize their angle. 

• Left-leaning: MSNBC, NPR 

• Center: AP, Reuters 

• Right-leaning: Fox News, The Daily Mail

The best idea is to always cross-check major stories across different news outlets.

Ask yourself:

• Is this true? 

• Does this help or harm? 

• Am I spreading a rumor, hate, or fear? 

Sharing is power; use it responsibly. 

• News Literacy Project: newslit.org 

• MediaWise Teen Fact-Checking Network

• NewsGuard browser extension