ANTH 210 Globalization and Culture: Is it real or fake? What to look for...

Trying to figure out if a story is real or fake? These questions can help you get to the bottom of things.

• Who is the owner of the newspaper or news site aka the publisher?
• What are the values, mission or purpose of the publication? Look at the ABOUT US section. If a US publication check ASNE.
• What are the credentials of the author?
• Who is the author? A reporter, an opinion writer, a guest writer? Other?
• Are there facts? Can you verify the facts?
• Does the story interview experts?
• Does the story interview witnesses?
• How is the story framed?
• Can you find this story reported in other reputable sources?

Questions developed by Jennifer Freer and Lara Nicosia

On January 26th, the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) broadcast a reflective story which gave an overview of misinformation surrounding the coronavirus outbreak. The story includes examples of information spreading on social media that cannot be verified, a comparison of media during the SARS outbreak, a discussion with a medical professional and the complications of global communications.