A GUIDE TO CHECKING NEWS
How to check if news is real or fake
Start with a specific claim and the original source. A headline, a popular post or a confident AI answer is not enough evidence by itself. Fake / Real helps you research public links and inspect the sources behind a provisional assessment.
1. Find the original statement
Open the article or post rather than relying on a screenshot. Identify who made the claim, what exactly they said and when. Follow links to the announcement, study, court document or repository being described. A report about a claim is different from evidence that the claim is true.
2. Check the date and context
An old photograph can accompany a new event. A forecast can be repeated as an observed result. Compare the publication date with the date of the event and read the sentences surrounding a quotation. If the original cannot be accessed, record that limitation instead of filling in the gaps.
3. Look for sources that answer the exact question
Prefer original records relevant to the assertion: a published paper for a research finding, a regulator’s notice for a policy change, or a software repository and license for an open-source claim. Primary sources can also be wrong or self-interested. Compare them with independent reporting and look for evidence that challenges the assertion.
Several websites repeating the same announcement do not provide several independent confirmations. Check whether they all trace back to one source.
4. Separate false claims from unanswered questions
Evidence that contradicts a claim can justify calling it false. Failure to find evidence does not. Opinion, satire, predictions and inaccessible material may not support a responsible true-or-false decision. A story can also contain both accurate and inaccurate statements.
5. Use the checker and read its sources
Paste the public link into Fake / Real. The platform extracts claims, searches for outside evidence and uses TypeSafe JEV to compare claims against cited passages. Code applies the verdict rules, and Gemini writes the explanation. Three free checks per day are available without signing in.
A REAL or FAKE stamp concerns the checked claim, not the entire publisher. When evidence is insufficient, the check allowance is restored. A displayed evidence ratio is not a calibrated probability that a story is true. Always inspect the cited material, especially before acting on a consequential claim.
Try a worked example
The JEV walkthrough links two saved reports about the same coffee story: a fact-check and the disputed assertion. Compare their source passages and check dates to understand how different claims lead to different results.
What the checker cannot establish
Fake / Real is an automated research tool, not a guarantee of truth or a forensic image and video authentication service. Reports can be incomplete or wrong. Request a correction with the report link and stronger evidence when you find a problem. Submitted links and reports are public; never paste private information.
Read our evidence methodology or how developers can link to the platform.