Open ProvincesHow to check a misleading news site before sharing a story
A quick verification routine for checking who published a story, whether its evidence is primary and whether other reliable sources confirm the claim.
Adapted from a guide first written for Quebec readers: passages specific to Quebec were removed. Rules in your province may differ.
A polished design, a familiar logo or a dramatic headline does not establish that a story is true. Before sharing a claim, pause and check what the page actually shows.
A five-minute check
- Identify the publisher. Look for a real organization, contact information, editorial policy and named author. Search the publisher's name with terms such as “correction” or “about.”
- Check the context. Open the full article, confirm its publication date and distinguish reporting from opinion or satire.
- Trace the evidence. Follow links to the original study, public record, interview, court document or dataset. A screenshot of a chart is not the source.
- Compare independent reporting. Look for multiple outlets that did their own reporting, not sites repeating the same press release or post.
- Check media separately. Search a key image or video frame and see whether it appeared earlier, in another place or with a different caption.
When the trail stops
Say that the claim is unverified rather than presenting it as fact. Do not rely on an AI-generated summary or an account's follower count as evidence. Keep a link to the original claim and record what you checked.
Sources and limits
General media-literacy guidance. For high-impact claims, prioritize primary documents and independent confirmation.
General information based on federal and national rules; provincial rules may differ. Confirm with the official body before acting.