SAGE

JimmyRulesTheUniverse.blogspot.com.co S P O N S O R E D CO N T E N T Colleges banned from charging students for parking By Jimmy Fake According to Fake News Incorporated, the Supreme Court recently ruled that public colleges and universities can no longer charge their students for parking. Fake Ne w s Hub reported that charging college students for parking violates the Eighth Amendment because the parking fee is seen as excessive and should be included with tuition. Biased Broadcasting will be televising this announcement along with special guest commentators discussing why this fee isn't excessive since most college students have their parents pay for everything. Contact your local college's journalism department for more details on this story. how to spot fake news *Sources: Dynamics of News Reporting & Writing Vincent F. Filak and the editors of Look out for strange or unfamiliar URLs, such as those that end in .com.co Check the site's "About" section—if it has one. Often, you'll fi nd clues to whether the site is legitimate and whether it follows acceptable editorial standards. Be wary of articles labeled "sponsored content" Such content typically means a company, organization, or perhaps even a government entity paid for it. Search the topic Do an Internet search for any other stories on the topic, using keywords. The more stories you fi nd on a topic, the more likely it is that the story in question has some merit. Be wary of Bloggers Some bloggers lack expertise on a subject. Check blog posts against coverage of the same topic in the mainstream media. Consider the source Is it legitimate and trustworthy? What do searches on the authors' names tell you about their qualifi cations? Legacy media, like the Washington Post and New York Times, as well as major network news (ABC, CBS, NBC) tend to have more credibility. Check the root sources Good stories will have multiple root sources, with various publications, websites and television broadcasts all using their own reporting with multiple, varied sources to confi rm information. If you rely on stories with many quality sources, it will help you separate the weaker pieces from the stronger ones. Click the links Much like citations in a research paper, links are supposed to provide clear evidence that supports the claims a journalist wants to make. When you see a link, click it to see if it really supports what the writer had to say. Also, see if it links to an outside source or if it's linking to another post or piece by that same author. Watch for bias Are the writers fair and impartial, or are they promoting their own views or those of a political party, pressure group, or other entity? When in doubt, don't cite Don't use information in an assignment, broadcast it on social media, or tweet it in a way that implies it's true if you suspect that it is not. Nothing kills fake news faster than healthy skepticism and a commitment to quality research.

• Cover