A method that fact-checkers use to verify the credibility of unfamiliar sources by researching the source itself on the open web, and by tracking down quoted or linked material.
Step 1: Investigate the Source
If you have found a website or journal that is unfamiliar to you, instead of trusting what the source says about itself, there are some quick steps you can take to check its trustworthiness.
Open a new tab and go to Google or your favorite search engine
Search the name of the website or the organization
See what other sources come up about the site. Wikipedia is a good source for this type of initial verification.
Step 2: Finding the Original Source
If you have found something interesting on a site such as Buzzfeed, which often quotes or reposts stories from other news sites, your best practice is to find that original reporting source.
