How do you know if a news source is credible?

Kathrine Nero

How do you know if a news source is credible? Kathrine Nero and D&Z host, Meti Berhanu sit down to discuss this important question.

Over the last several years, I’ve had more and more people reach out to me to ask how they can find out if what they’re reading in the media is true. It’s a tricky question – and an even trickier answer.

Most reputable news outlets aren’t going to share something that’s patently false. But there are certainly shades of truth.

Let’s take for example a story from this month about the number of arrests at the US-Mexico border.

Reuters, which media experts agree has a center lean, or neither conservative nor liberal, had a headline that read “US Border Patrol arrested 29,000 migrants illegally crossing Mexico border in January, lowest since 2020.”

Left-leaning Washington Post’s headline read, “ICE struggles to boost arrest numbers despite infusion of resources.”

And from the right, Fox News reported “Border arrests hit lowest mark since last time Trump was in office.”

All of these headlines are true. But each has a different implication. Reuters leaned on numbers to tell the story, dealing in fact with little context or explanation as to the “why,” leaving it up to the reader to extrapolate. Washington Post implied Border Patrol is having difficulty making arrests, despite money allocated by the Trump administration to do just that, implying government waste. Fox News implied Trump’s hard stance on illegal border crossings is reducing the number of migrants attempting to cross.

One story, three different versions. And that’s only the beginning.

So how do we make sure what we’re reading is truthful? Here are some easy ways to double check what you’re reading and make sure you have the full grasp of the subject matter.

Diversify your news sources.

Don’t rely on just one outlet. Read or watch the same story on multiple platforms from multiple outlets to grasp the full meaning and gain a well-rounded perspective.

Check the source.

If a news story is based on a study, report or government document or order, look for the original source instead of just the summary, based on someone else’s interpretation.

Watch for clickbait.

If it sounds too good to be true, it just may be. Headlines and TV teases are especially guilty of this tactic. Any sort of emotionally-charged language can distort the truth. Read the entire article before forming an opinion.

Understand bias – including your own.

None of us is without bias. It’s learning what our biases are that make us a well-informed electorate and consumer of news. The same is true for news outlets. Recognizing that bias can help you determine whether information is accurate.

Look for direct quotes and data.

Hard numbers and direct quotes or soundbites are verifiable, and therefore, can help us distinguish implication from fact. If a story relies on vague claims only, keep looking.

Know what’s news  – and what’s opinion.

Many 24-hour cable outlets might broadcast a newscast, immediately followed by an opinion show. The two shows might even look similar. In print, a factual recap of a news story might be printed next to  an editorial, or opinion, about that same story. They should be labelled as such, but sometimes the reader doesn’t realize it. Make sure you’re not mistaking an analysis or editorial for objective reporting.

Watch for misleading edits.

We used to call these “frankenbites,” a way to edit information together that could potentially change the context. Make sure what you’re hearing actually happened when and where the news outlet says it did. An easy way to do this is to look for the full version of interviews or press conferences.

Turn off the TV and stop the scroll.

We all need breaks from news from time to time. Set limits on how often you consume news and know when it’s time to back off.

Comparing news sources can sometimes calm concerns and improve our understanding of what’s happening in the world around us.