Help Out, Rate Your News

News consumers today may be deceived more often than they'd like to admit. If you've taken a class on journalism or practiced thinking critically you know that just because an article calls itself news, doesn't mean the facts are solid.

Today we have a multitude of sources to select from and the Internet makes it easy to read others' commentary. Even if you don't recognize the glaring inaccuracies in a news story, chances are that some helpful reader will leave a comment pointing them out.

The ability to read a news story and critically analyze it for inaccuracies is called being "news literate." It is an important skill to have as media and journalism pop up in more and more places.

NewsTrust.net, a website representing an online network of people concerned with the accuracy of journalism, has developed a rating system for the news.

By visiting their website, and specifically this link, concerned citizens can actively review the accuracy of the article they have just read. There are also criteria and explanations available for what constitutes an accurate, unbiased news article.

The website has also, quite smartly, offered four varying levels of commitment for reviewers. Depending on how much time you're willing to devote and how much you know, you can answer three, five, 10, or 18 questions geared toward accuracy.

The website's pages are full of links geared toward judging your news, including one called "Think Like A Journalist." If you're concerned with the accuracy of the news you're reading (and we all should be), take a minute to browse through some of these links. You'll want to add the site to your bookmarks.

Photo courtesy of redbarrenx, Flickr.com, via Creative Commons.