Analyzing News Sources

 Context of assignment  

• Subjects this assignment is best suited for:  any
• Class size best suited for:  any
  
• This assignment will be worth [XX] number of points.

 Learning outcomes for students

1. To identify persuasive language use in news articles.
2. To determine if a news source provides valid evidence.
3. To learn how to independently verify claims. 

 What students will need before this assignment

• Guidance on how to analyze author language. 

 Assignment Instructions

• Read the page What to Think About When Thinking About the News on analyzing news sources.
• Find two news sources related to your topic and analyze the news sources using the skills you have learned in this module.  Make sure to address the questions below.

What is the main idea of this article? 

What is the point this article is trying to make? Was it easy to find? Does the title of the article make sense?

How does this article want me to feel?

What kind of language is being used? Are the images positive or negative? Do you see lots of exclamation points and words in bold that make you pay attention to them?

Does this article provide evidence for its claim from good sources?

Are the links provided sending you to medical journals, articles in well-researched publications or statistical sites? Or are they sending you to "alternative" sites with little factual information?

Am I able to independently verify claims in this article?

If a claim doesn't have a link in the article, can I find information on it myself? Are all the links simply recycled from one source, or are there multiple tests, surveys, studies or other sources available?

Adapted from Lowe, K. T. (2018, September 17). LibGuides: Fake News: Check your own claim! Retrieved September 25, 2018, from http://iue.libguides.com/fakenews/checkup