Bias Checks & Fact Checking

The internet is full of information — but not all of it is true. Some posts are facts, some are opinions, and some are simply wrong. A smart digital citizen pauses, checks, and confirms before believing or sharing what they read.

Fact vs Opinion

• A fact can be proven true with evidence (e.g. "Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level").
• An opinion is what someone thinks or feels (e.g. "Pizza is the best food").
• Headlines and social posts often mix the two — read carefully.

What is Bias?

Bias is when a source leans one way on purpose or by accident. A biased source may leave out important details, only show one side of a story, or use strong words to push your feelings. Bias does not always mean lying — but it does mean you should look at more than one source before you decide.

How to Fact-Check in 4 Steps

1. Read the claim carefully — what exactly is being said?
2. Find the original source — who said it first, and when?
3. Cross-check with at least two trusted places (encyclopedia, government site, peer-reviewed paper).
4. Decide: confirmed, unclear, or false? If unclear, do not share it yet.

Trusted vs Shaky Sources

• Trusted: encyclopedias, government data, peer-reviewed papers, news with a named author and date.
• Shaky: anonymous social posts, chain messages, "everyone knows" claims, AI answers without a source, ads, opinion blogs without citations.
• AI tools are helpful but can be confidently wrong — always verify their facts elsewhere.