Guide
How to Check if News Is True
A practical six-step method for verifying a news story, from pinning down the claim to reading the primary source.
A six-step method
Use these steps on any story before you share it. They take a few minutes and catch most misleading reporting.
- Pin down the claim: write the single statement you want to test, with the names, numbers and dates it depends on.
- Check the source: find out who published it, who wrote it, and whether the outlet publishes corrections.
- Find independent reports: look for the same claim in outlets that are not citing each other, and read what they actually say.
- Go to the primary source: open the study, filing, transcript or dataset behind the claim instead of a summary of it.
- Check the date and context: confirm the story is current, the quote is complete, and the image or video belongs to the event.
- Run it through Factful: paste the article URL and compare your findings with the claim-by-claim evidence report.
Signs a story needs a closer look
Be careful with claims that have no named source, rely on a single anonymous account, use strong emotional language in place of evidence, or cannot be found anywhere else. A real story usually leaves a trail across several independent outlets.
When the evidence is not there
Sometimes a claim cannot be confirmed or refuted yet. That is a legitimate result. Factful labels these claims unverifiable or not found rather than forcing a verdict, and you can return to the check later as reporting develops.
Check an article now
Frequently asked questions
How can I check if a news story is true?
Isolate the claim, check the source, look for independent reports, read the primary documents, confirm the date and context, then compare your findings with a claim-by-claim check such as Factful News.
How do I verify a news article quickly?
Paste the article URL into Factful News. It extracts the testable claims, searches independent sources, and shows a verdict, confidence and sources for each claim in under a minute.
What is a primary source?
The original material a claim is based on: a court filing, government dataset, study, official statement or full transcript, as opposed to a report about it.
Are fact-check websites always right?
No. Treat any fact check, human or automated, as an argument supported by evidence. Prefer ones that show their sources and publish corrections.