Validation feels good. However, when we surround ourselves with voices, news sources, and information that simply reinforce what we already believe, not only are we lacking a heathy amount of challenge to our thinking and environment, it can distort our ability to accurately interpret and accept legitimate facts. Learn more about what confirmation bias is, how it impacts you, and how to avoid it.

Journalists are biased, yes. They bring their own opinions, ideas, and backgrounds. But credible journalists also bring professional training, a code of ethics, and years of experience. Read more about what sets professional, reliable journalists apart.

Ever shared an article, and you can immediately tell who in the comments only read the headline? It's easy to see a headline, post, or couple of slides on social media and think you know the whole story, but understanding the purpose of headlines is a good reminder of why it is important to read the full article before you comment or share.

Did that headline cause a strong emotional reaction? Did that article claim to have exclusive info? Did that tweet supposedly come from an expert on the topic? Before you share, SIFT! Taking just a few minutes to stop, investigate the source, find more coverage, and trace the claims can help stop the spread of misinformation.

You love your community. You love your local schools, restaurants, and small businesses. And you love keeping your eye on local politics to ensure that the things you love are funded, improved, and prioritized. That's why we want to send some serious love to local news outlets. Check out the slides to see how local news organizations support the many things you love about where you live.

Misinformation can be quite cunning. We'll help you figure out what to look for and how to increase your ability to identify and critique what you're seeing online or hearing from your friends.

Divisions in our country are being driven, in part, by misinformation. Misinformation is false information that is disseminated, regardless of intent to mislead. It works because it takes advantage of how the human brain is wired. We're building up your toolkit to combat misinformation — so you can learn how to be an informed consumer!

What stories do you remember about a president butting heads with the press? Scroll to read more about the support and tension between a president and the news media.

It might seem innocent enough, but words like "always," "every,""never," etc. create distorted views of reality. Explaining viewpoints without leaving room for the many exceptions that often exist can lead polarization. Scroll to learn more about black-and-white thinking — and how to avoid it.

Unpacking complex news stories, especially ones layered with history, culture, and conflict, requires looking with a critical eye. Use these five tools to increase your understanding and prevent the spread of misinformation.

Feel like the news is almost always a downer? Scroll to learn more about why negativity seems to dominate the headlines — and how you can combat negativity bias.

Speak like a journalist! Do you know what a nameplate is? What about the deck? Scroll to understand the language and layout of a news story to navigate like a pro!

Ever wonder why one news story gets coverage over another? We’ve got the scoop! Learn what factors go into selecting news articles.

Stop misinformation from your search engine! Swipe through to find out more about how you can use Google's "About this result" feature to find reliable information on the web.

Learn about how to reverse search your images via Google to gain context about memes, fake profiles, and more!