3. Confirm objectivity

One of the points that can lead people to believe that information is false or manipulated is the author's objectivity.

One of the things that often characterizes a partisan author is his or her language. Take care to detach yourself from the text and "count". Count qualifying adjectives and positive or negative superlatives. They're often a strong indication of the author's bias, and increase the risk of misinformation, or at least distorted and partial information.

Just as we've checked the author's authority, remember to ask about the professional background from an angle of reading bias.

Is the author involved in a professional association? Is he or has he been an employee of one of the players involved in the information you wish to qualify?

If the information is published on a website,...