Is it a joke?
Check the author
Ask the experts
Supporting sources
If a story includes sources for its facts, click on the sources. Check the details – do the sources actually say what the story claims?
If in doubt, ask an expert. There are online fact checking sites that can help you decide if information is real or fake.
Is the article actually serious? There are many sites which share fake stories that are meant to be funny.
Who wrote the article? Are you familiar with the writer? Are they even a real person?