Evaluating Sources: News Literacy

"A group of researchers from MIT found in 2018 that stories that trigger an emotional response are shared way more than straight news stories. Added to that, neuroscientists have confirmed that we are more likely to remember stories that make us angry, sad, or laugh." Source (firstdraftnews.org)

If you don't like what an article is saying, ask yourself why. Cognitive dissonance can be uncomfortable, but it can be good to note that your biases are being challenged.

When you only read or notice what you already agree with - it can lead to logic errors like "I will see it when I believe it."

Source - What are they about?  Follow the money.
History - Do they have a reputation to uphold? What do they risk?
Evidence - Saying something does not make it so.*
Emotion - Are they manipulating you with moral-emotional language?
Pictures - Visuals often bypass our critical thinking.

*"The most determined hoaxers or propagandists can use a network of sites or accounts to make a claim seem more widespread or well-supported than it really is."