How Social Media News Feed Algorithms Work
Organizations
- Center for News LiteracyFrom Stony Brook University: School of Journalism
- OpenSecrets.org: Center for Responsive PoliticsNonpartisan research group investigating and reporting data about money's influence on US elections and public policy
- PoynterJournalism organization that recently established an International Fact Checking Code of Principles
Analyzing the News
Be aware of: bias, political propaganda, intentional disinformation, satire, attention-seeking click-bait, conspiracy theories, and sloppy reporting.
ASK: Who wrote it? Who benefits? Who is left out?
Bias in the News Source
- Media Bias Chart 9.0
The Media Bias Chart visualizes where different mainstream news organizations fall on the spectrum of bias and level of reliability. The visualization allows you to quickly compare and contrast different news sources. Produced with a rigorous, reproducible methodology – and a politically balanced team of analysts. Updated January 2022.
From IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions), 2017.
Reliable Sources
- AllSidesShows how news stories are reported from different political perspectives
- Associated PressAmerican nonprofit international news-gathering agency
- BBC NewsThe world's largest broadcast news organization
- New York Times This link opens in a new windowAccess to NYTimes.com, including breaking news, multimedia, international content, reviews, blogs, apps, and more.
To activate a renewable one-year pass, see these instructions.
- NPR (National Public Radio)A nonprofit membership media organization that syndicates to a network of 900 public radio stations in the U.S.
- ProPublicaAn independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest
- ReutersUK-based nonprofit international news agency
- Wall Street Journal This link opens in a new windowAn online version of the Wall Street Journal
Note: First time users will need to create a personal account using these instructions.
- The Washington PostA daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., with a particular emphasis on national politics
Reports and Essays
- Lies, Damn Lies, and Viral ContentHow News Websites Spread (and Debunk) Online Rumors, Unverified Claims and Misinformation, by Craig Silverman
Source: Tow Center for Digital Journalism
- Media Manipulation and Disinformation OnlineReport from Data & Society, May 2017
Source: Data & Society - News Use Across Social Media Platforms 2021From Pew Research Center, Sept. 2021