Fact-Checking Fundamentals
This is the first step in the fact-checking process.
What is identifying the claim or statement that needs to be verified?
This term refers to when the media presents news in a way that favors one side over another.
What is media bias?
This is the term for humorous or ironic images shared widely on social media, often with captions.
What is a meme?
This platform is the primary place where short-form, microblogging posts of 280 characters or less are shared.
What is X/Twitter?
This type of communication is used to influence people's opinions or behaviors, often through one-sided or distorted information.
What is propaganda?
This type of essay requires students to examine the similarities and differences between two or more subjects.
What is a compare and contrast essay?
This website is a reliable source for checking the truthfulness of online claims.
What is Snopes or FactCheck.org?
When a news outlet covers a story selectively, it is engaging in this type of bias.
What is selection bias?
Memes can spread misinformation quickly. This cousin of the meme, which mimics legitimate photos or videos, is often used to spread false claims.
What is a deepfake?
This social media writing practice involves using a symbol to make content discoverable by a wider audience.
What is a hashtag?
The use of symbolic images to stir emotional responses is a common strategy in this form of communication.
What is emotional appeal?
In a compare and contrast essay, this is the method of organizing content by discussing each subject in separate paragraphs.
What is subject-by-subject?
This word refers to information that is intentionally misleading or false.
What is misinformation?
This term refers to a type of media bias where the language used in reporting sways public opinion toward a particular stance.
What is framing?
Memes often convey this emotion or idea, influencing how people perceive current events or trends.
What is satire or humor?
Social media writing is often less formal than traditional writing. This style of writing is characterized by brief, conversational language.
What is informal tone or casual writing?
This type of propaganda is meant to instill fear or anxiety in the audience to make them support a particular course of action.
What is fear-mongering?
This is the term for a compare and contrast structure that discusses each point of comparison for both subjects in each paragraph.
What is the point-by-point method?
This is the term for fact-checking that involves examining multiple sources and considering the context of the claim.
What is source verification?
This type of bias occurs when a media outlet uses its platform to push a particular political ideology.
What is political bias?
This is the online culture of sharing viral content, which can have a significant impact on public discourse.
What is meme culture?
This feature of social media posts allows users to share content quickly with a larger group of people.
What is sharing or reposting?
This propaganda technique involves exaggerating the positives of a particular idea or leader to create an idealized image.
What is "glittering generalities"?
When writing a compare and contrast essay, this is important to ensure the argument remains clear and coherent.
What is a thesis statement?
The accuracy of information should be checked against these kinds of sources, which are typically peer-reviewed or government-affiliated.
What are primary or academic sources?
This is the term for when a media outlet under-reports or omits key facts that might contradict its narrative.
What is omission bias?
This is the viral spread of memes through platforms like X, Instagram, or Reddit.
What is meme diffusion?
In social media writing, this term refers to the process of crafting a post that will resonate with the target audience, often using hooks or catchy headlines
What is writing for engagement?
This propaganda technique involves attacking an opposing idea or person rather than discussing the actual issue.
What is ad hominem?
In compare and contrast writing, this type of transition word is used to show differences between two subjects.
What is "however" or "on the other hand"?