Where do the various news organizations stand on the political spectrum? What's their bias? Who's their target audience?
Media Bias Chart downloaded September 2024
Ad Fontes Media regularly analyzes various media outlets and updates this chart. See the newest version and take a look at their methodology on their site.
Triangulating evidence in your news is one way to fact-check breaking reports from the press.
When an event breaks, choose at least three trustworthy professional journalism outlets. The BBC, Washington Post, and New York Times all follow a strict Journalism Code of Ethics. Look up the reporting on the event in three sites to see what evidence is repeated in each. For further vetting, wait twenty-four hours after the event and repeat the triangulating exercise.
When evaluating sources, keep these definitions in mind. Suppose you gravitate to biased sources that agree with your hypothesis, opinion, and/or belief. In that case, seeking objective information to research your topic holistically is a red flag. Who knows? Your original opinion might be wrong!
The following definitions will help you in assessing viewpoints.