Lateral Reading and Verification
Learn how professional fact-checkers verify information using lateral reading and other advanced techniques.
Professional fact-checkers do not spend time reading a suspicious website carefully — they leave it immediately and search for what others say about it. This is called lateral reading.
What Is Lateral Reading?
Lateral reading means opening new tabs and searching for information about a source rather than reading the source itself deeply. Instead of asking "Does this website look credible?" you ask "What do credible sources say about this website?"
The SIFT Method
- Stop — pause before sharing or believing
- Investigate the source — who is behind it?
- Find better coverage — look for other sources reporting the same claim
- Trace claims — find the original source of a claim
Sites like Snopes, FactCheck.org, and PolitiFact specialize in verifying claims. When you encounter a suspicious claim, search for it on these sites before sharing.
Reverse Image Search
Images are frequently taken out of context or misrepresented. Reverse image search (using Google Images or TinEye) lets you find where an image originally appeared, helping you verify whether it is being used accurately.
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3 questions · Grade 6 level