Fact checking is the process of verifying the factual accuracy of claims made in various news media, such as news releases, debates, speeches and interviews.
Claims could be in the form of an article, report, letter, commentary, editorial, image, video, audio, or even a social media post or response in relation to news that has been shared on any social media platform.
How DW fact-checks fake news | DW Fact Check (10:42 mins) by DW News (YouTube).
Checking if claims in news media are factually correct ensures that the information you access is not only accurate, but also impartial, trustworthy, consistent and has integrity.
Using such information in your studies makes your work more reliable and credible, and helps you to get better marks.
Is the news true (factual) or is the news fake? Through fact-checking, if claims are verified to be false, then it is fake news.
To help you verify if claims are true or false, and if content is therefore fake news:
Fake news tends to widely travel across the internet via social media, e.g. TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Meta. So content accessed on news media or social media needs to be fact-checked.
Fact checking: How do I spot fake news? | DW Fact Check (4:20 mins) by DW News (YouTube).
To enhance your knowledge and learning of fact checking, you can undertake RMIT's Fact Check learning module via Canvas:
Assignments: get started is your guide to finding, evaluating and referencing sources of information.
Access the Learning lab to develop skills in writing, critical thinking, assessment tasks and much more.
