Fact-checking is the act of verifying information in non-fictional text in order to determine its veracity and correctness. (Wikipedia, 5/27/2020)
According to Wikipedia, "fake news" consists of deliberate disinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional news media (print and broadcast) or online social media... usually with the intent to mislead in order to damage an agency, entity, or person, and/or gain financially or politically, often using sensationalist, dishonest, or outright fabricated headlines to increase readership... Publishing a story with false content that attracts users benefits advertisers and improves ratings. (Wikipedia, 5/27/2020)
Similar to evaluating scholarly academic sources, critical thinking is required to evaluate news sources for reliability.
20200527 - rrh