The term "fake news" news is used to mean disseminated information or material that is one or more of following:

• Blatantly, intentionally false
• Hyperpartisan (displaying extreme political bias)
• Severely lacking in credible attribution or supporting evidence
• Old, verified news presented or repackaged as brand-new
• Satirical or patently absurd (The Onion is a prime example)

Watch out for misapplications of the phrase "fake news" applied to settings to discredit news sources or information that is actually true. "Fake news" was used by Donald Trump frequently before and during his presidency to attempt to discount news outlets, press, or information he didn't like, but was real, legitimate, and not "fake" news. He used the phrase "fake news" 979 times on Twitter before his account was suspended in January 2021.   

Alternative terms you may hear in relation to inaccurate information sharing:

• Misinformation is information that is inaccurate but not necessarily with a malicious intent.
• Disinformation encompasses deliberately false or misleading information, often with an intent to manipulate, control, or confuse. Strategic disinformation is often organized and capitalizes on automated search tools to increase its viewership. 

IFLA, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

These websites fact check and provide information specific to politics, politicians and elections. 

• Vote Smart

  Check voting records, background, and public statements of candidates from around the country.

• Politifact

  "PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics."

• Open Secrets

  "The Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C., that tracks the effects of money and lobbying on elections and public policy. It maintains a public online database of its information"

• Misinformation Directory

  A list of websites that have posted deceptive content from Factcheck.org

Australian Sites

International Sites