可能很难确定您正在阅读的信息(information you’re reading)是真实的还是虚假的。错误信息(Misinformation)比比皆是。您可以批判性地评估您阅读或听到的内容是否真实，是否发现虚假网站(spotting fake websites)、虚假电子邮件(fake emails)、亚马逊上的虚假评论(fake reviews on Amazon)，或者只是对您在网上遇到的信息进行事实核查。
学习如何区分假新闻和真实新闻是磨练的关键技能。作为我们全球社区的一员，您有责任做出明智的判断，尤其是关于您在社交媒体上遇到的信息。
我们将研究一些最好的事实核查网站来打击错误信息，重点关注以证据为基础并以科学为基础的网站，这样您就可以确信您正在阅读和分享的信息是真实的。
宾夕法尼亚(Pennsylvania)大学(University)的安纳伯格公共政策中心(Annenberg Public Policy Center)项目已经存在了很长时间，并且一直以揭穿虚假声明而闻名，这些虚假声明主要由美国政客提出。尽管FactCheck(FactCheck)确实关注政治主张，但它是一个无党派和非营利组织，负责监控政客的演讲、电视广告和新闻发布，以保持他们的诚实。使用最好的事实核查网站将帮助您进行礼貌的辩论(engage in polite debate)并获得明智的意见。
除了关注美国政客的诚信之外，FactCheck 的Facebook 倡议(Facebook Initiative)还致力于揭穿社交网络上共享的虚假信息。您还可以查看 FactCheck 的病毒螺旋(Viral Spiral)功能或提交您的问题。
虽然SciCheck是 FactCheck.org 的一部分，(FactCheck.org)但它应该在此列表中拥有自己的条目。自 2015 年以来，SciCheck功能一直在揭穿虚假或误导性的科学主张。SciCheck包括一个项目（英语(English)和西班牙语(Spanish)），致力于核实有关Covid-19和疫苗的信息。如果您听到一个让您摸不着头脑的科学声明，请前往SciCheck验证它是否属实。
FlackCheck是 FactCheck.org 的配套站点(FactCheck.org)。它主要侧重于政治素养，但它也可以帮助您学习如何识别一般论点中的逻辑谬误。当然，如果你确实认识到某人的论点存在缺陷，那并不一定意味着他们所提出的主张都是完全错误的。尽管如此，它仍然可以让您深入了解提出这些主张的个人或机构的道德规范。
事实核查不是一种一次性的工作。要使其发挥作用，需要进行多个级别的审查。输入Media Bias/Fact Check( MBFC )。虽然该网站充满广告的设计并不能激发信心，但它是确定媒体偏见的最佳事实核查网站之一。（MBFC确实不遗余力地通知网站访问者它无法控制显示哪些广告，但事实仍然是有很多(LOT)广告。）
这是MBFC的工作原理。在搜索栏中输入媒体的名称或URL，MBFC会告诉您该来源是否有问题，或者它已被证明具有左、左中、右中或右偏的程度。如果来源有时会发布无法验证的信息或没有证据支持，也可以归类为“阴谋/伪科学”，如果它们遵循科学方法并以证据为基础，则也可以归类为“亲科学”。
除了列出它喜欢的第三方事实检查扩展，MBFC还为Chrome和Firefox提供了自己的 Official Media Bias Fact Check Extension。
5.记者实验室.org(ReportersLab.org)
对不起，我们在这里得到一点元(meta )数据。在杜克大学记者(Reporters)实验室(’ Lab)，你会找到一个事实核查网站的数据库以及帮助你和其他事实核查人员的工具集……嗯，核查事实。记者(Reporters)实验室(’ Lab)位于桑福德(Sanford School)公共政策(Public Policy)学院。_ 它将让您了解世界各地的事实核查状况以及您可以期待的事实核查创新。如果您正在寻找当地的事实核查来源，交互式地图非常有用。
6.主要故事(Lead Stories)
Lead Stories是Trendolizer引擎背后的网站，它实时向您展示目前正在流行的故事、图像和视频。然后，它会对这些热门话题进行事实核查以找出恶作剧。该网站是 Facebook 的合作伙伴之一，致力于打击社交媒体平台上的错误信息。它也是#CoronavirusFacts Alliance的成员。
7. BBC 现实检查(BBC Reality Check)
BBC Reality Check是英国广播公司(Broadcasting Company)( BBC ) 的事实核查机构。BBC Reality Check团队于 2017 年成立，旨在核实事实并揭穿试图作为真实新闻传播的假新闻。它查看在Facebook等网站上标记为误导或虚假的新闻，并发布带有Reality Check类别标签的文章。虽然您不能专门搜索Reality Check部分，但如果您花一些时间阅读这些文章，您将能够更好地了解真相。
Truth or Fiction 是最好的事实检查网站之一，您可以在其中获取有关您可能在网上或通过电子邮件遇到的假新闻和病毒内容的信息。该网站很简单。滚动(Scroll)浏览无休止的索赔列表，然后选择您感兴趣的一项以获取更多信息。每篇文章都包括声明、评级和声明细节的报告，以及为什么它可能是虚假或误导的。
News Verifier Africa ( N-VA )被称为“非洲的事实(Fact-Checking Watchdog)核查监督机构”，是一家非营利组织，成立于 2020 年，旨在打击有关Covid-19 的(Covid-19)错误信息。N-VA背后的人担心“错误信息的趋势已经扩大了公众对媒体和政府的不信任”，所以他们创建了这个网站来解决这个问题。
网站访问者可以提交声明以进行事实检查，收听N-VA播客，或浏览声明。
10.直奔(Straight)源头的资源
记者经常报道发表在科学期刊上的文章。虽然新闻的作用是综合复杂的想法和详细信息以供公众消费，但有时您可能希望直接找到源头。不幸的是，科学期刊通常有付费墙，但有几种解决方法可以帮助您免费找到这些文章。
- 在jstor.org(jstor.org)上注册一个帐户后，您每月可以免费在线阅读 100 篇文章。并确保查看您当地的图书馆是否有 JSTOR 帐户(see if your local library has a JSTOR account)。如果是这样，您也许可以访问更多。
- Google Scholar允许您按作者、标题、日期和出版物搜索文章。
- 直接联系作者。科学家只是人。如果您直接通过电子邮件向他们索要他们撰写的期刊文章的副本，他们很可能会将其发送给您！
意见影响行动。当您选择验证您在线阅读或从他人那里听到的信息时，您正在帮助减少我们每个人固有的认知偏见。事实核查有助于我们保持怀疑，并最终通过将自己立足于被证明是真实的东西来增加我们的生存机会。去验证！
10 Best Fact-Checking Sites to Fight Misinformation
It cаn be difficult to determine if the information you’re reading is real or fake. Misinformation abounds. It’s up to you to critically evaluate whether what you read or hear is true, whether that’s spotting fake websites, fake emails, fake reviews on Amazon, or simply fact-checking the information you come across online.
Learning how to tell the difference between fake news and real news is a crucial skill to hone. As a member of our global community, you are responsible for making informed judgments, especially about the information you come across on social media.
We’ll look at some of the best fact-checking sites to fight misinformation, focusing on sites that are evidence-based and grounded in science so that you can be confident that the information you’re reading and sharing is true.
The Annenberg Public Policy Center project at the University of Pennsylvania has been around for a long time and has always enjoyed a reputation for debunking false claims, mostly those made by U.S. politicians. While it does focus on political claims, FactCheck is a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization that monitors politicians’ speeches, television ads, and news releases to keep them honest. Using the best fact-checking sites will help you engage in polite debate and have an informed opinion.
In addition to keeping an eye on the integrity of American politicians, FactCheck’s Facebook Initiative works to debunk false information shared on the social network. You can also check out FactCheck’s Viral Spiral feature or submit your questions.
While SciCheck is part of FactCheck.org, it deserves its own entry on this list. Since 2015, the SciCheck feature has been debunking false or misleading scientific claims. SciCheck includes a project—in English and Spanish—dedicated to fact-checking information about Covid-19 and vaccines. If you hear a scientific claim that makes you scratch your head, head to SciCheck to verify whether it’s true.
FlackCheck is a companion site to FactCheck.org. It’s mostly focused on political literacy, but it can also help you learn how to identify the logical fallacies in arguments in general. Of course, if you do recognize a flaw in someone’s argument, that doesn’t necessarily mean the claims they’re making are all completely false. Still, it can give you some insight into the ethics of the person or institution making those claims.
Fact-checking is not a one-and-done kind of effort. For it to work, several levels of review are needed. Enter Media Bias/Fact Check (MBFC). While the website’s advertisement-riddled design doesn’t inspire confidence, it is one of the best fact-checking sites for determining media bias. (MBFC does go out of its way to inform site visitors that it has no control over which ads are displayed, but the fact remains that there are a LOT of them.)
Here’s how MBFC works. Enter a media outlet’s name or URL into the search bar, and MBFC will tell you whether the source is questionable or to what degree it has been proven to have a left, left-center, right-center, or right bias. Sources can also be categorized as “conspiracy/pseudoscience” if they sometimes publish unverifiable information or aren’t supported by evidence or “pro-science” if they follow the scientific method and are evidence-based.
In addition to listing third-party fact-checking extensions it likes, MBFC also offers its own Official Media Bias Fact Check Extension for Chrome and Firefox.
Excuse us while we get a little meta here. At the Duke University Reporters’ Lab, you’ll find a database of fact-checking sites as well as a round-up of tools to help you and other fact-checkers…well, check facts. The Reporters’ Lab is housed at the Sanford School of Public Policy. It’ll give you a sense of the state of fact-checking around the world and fact-checking innovations you can look forward to. The interactive map is beneficial if you’re looking for local fact-checking sources.
Lead Stories is the site behind the Trendolizer engine, which shows you in real-time what stories, images, and videos are going viral right this minute. It then fact-checks those trending topics for hoaxes.The site is one of Facebook’s partners in its efforts to fight misinformation on the social media platform. It’s also a member of the #CoronavirusFacts Alliance.
BBC Reality Check is the fact-checking arm of the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). Launched in 2017, the BBC Reality Check team was assembled to fact-check and debunk fake news trying to pass as real news. It looks at news flagged as misleading or false on sites like Facebook and publishes articles with the Reality Check category tag. While you cannot exclusively search the Reality Check section, if you spend some time reading the articles, you’ll be in a better position to know the truth.
Truth or Fiction is one of the best fact-checking sites where you can get information on fake news and viral content you may come across online or by email. The site is straightforward. Scroll through the unending list of claims and select one that interests you for more information. Each article includes the claim, a rating, and reporting on the details of the claim and why it may be false or misleading.
Billed as “Africa’s Fact-Checking Watchdog,” News Verifier Africa (N-VA), is a nonprofit that was created in 2020 to fight against misinformation about Covid-19. The people behind N-VA worry that “the trend of misinformation has widened public distrust in the media and government,” so they’ve created the site to do something about it.
Site visitors can submit a claim to be fact-checked, listen to the N-VA podcast, or browse through claims.
10. Resources for Going Straight to the Source
Journalists often report on articles published in scientific journals. While journalism’s role is to synthesize complex ideas and detailed information for consumption by the general public, sometimes you might want to go straight to the source. Unfortunately, scientific journals usually have a paywall, but several workarounds help you find those articles for free.
- Registering for an account at jstor.org will give you free read-online access to 100 articles a month. And be sure to see if your local library has a JSTOR account. If so, you may be able to get access to even more.
- Google Scholar allows you to search for articles by author, title, date, and publication.
- Contact the author directly. Scientists are only human. If you email them directly and ask for a copy of the journal article they wrote, they’re more than likely to send it to you!
Opinions affect actions. When you choose to verify the information you read online or hear from another person, you’re helping to reduce the cognitive biases inherent in each of us. Fact-checking helps us stay skeptical and, ultimately, increase our survival chances by grounding ourselves in what is proven to be true. Go forth and verify!
