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News Literacy

How do you consume news and stay informed? How do you know if a story is true or false? Use this guide for tips to analyze the news that you see, read, or hear.

What Is News Literacy?

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  • Evaluating news and media stories
  • Distinguishing between news and opinion
  • Recognizing bias or slant
  • Identifying when news is fake
  • Checking credibility of news
  • Using multiple formats and sources to get news
  • Understanding perspectives and beliefs other than your own
  • Being an informed citizen

Your Filter Bubble

When reading news and searching online, you may not see the same results as others. The results you get are personalized based on factors, like location and past clicks. 

The Filter Bubble and Social Media

Filter bubbles are formed in social media environments through algorithms that deliver personalized information as well as through our own choices of who we follow.  Here is an example:

How to Burst Your Filter Bubble

The most effective way to burst your filter bubble is to:  

  • going directly to news websites,
  • trying different search engines,
  • finding news in different formats, like podcasts or social media,
  • and following the news by using tools, like RSS, email newsletters, and more.