Our mission at PR for People ® is to tell news stories about remarkable people who are making a difference in the world. Aside from writing stories about people, we also write essays and articles that shed light on how the media works, thereby helping you to develop your own critical thinking skills. With the proliferation of fake news, chatbots, algorithms, and AI-generated news, memes, photos, and videos, it is more important than ever to be able to discern what is real.
We make it our job to know about all facets of the media. We know which media outlets are respected, credible and trustworthy. We also know who owns each media outlet, and how news can be slanted according to each owner’s political, financial or religious agenda. We can identify the media outlets that are funded by sources whose primary mission is to spread disinformation, conspiracy theories, confusion and downright lies.
Whenever you read, see or hear news, always consider the source. We’ve been in the media business for a long time and can spot the fake from the real. We want to help you to be a discerning consumer of news.
How to Spot Fake News
1. Consider the source. Who do you think placed the news story? Who stands to benefit? Who will be cast in a favorable light? Are there winners and losers?
2. Is the news story fair and balanced? Does it present more than one point of view? Is the story slanted with obviously political leanings without presenting facts to support multiple viewpoints?
3. Cross-check the news. Check top-tier media outlets and your regional newspaper, e.g., Seattle Times, The Oregonian, Des Moines Register, Baltimore Sun, etc.) to see how they are covering the same topic. If they are not covering the same story, then you might have encountered fake news.
4. Recognize that top-tier media is not totally unbiased. Understand that the most respected media outlets in the nation are still politically predisposed to be liberal, conservative, radical, reactionary, and even fringe. Understand where they are coming from so you can make an informed opinion.
5. Use Common Sense. When in doubt, use your brain. If news about Taylor Swift links to skin care products, chances are the news is fake. If a story sounds preposterous, it is likely to be fake news. Do you really believe that Pope Leo endorsed Trump for President in 2028?
Hard News vs. Soft News
The distinction between hard news and soft news has become blurred. Hard news (late breaking news) covers politics, sports, and public safety (including war, natural disasters, violence and crime). Soft news is entertainment and is concocted by P.R. professionals. Hard news has become increasingly slanted, and is often placed in media outlets as entertainment (fluff) by P.R. professionals and Press Agents.
AI-Generated News
AI-Generated News is now part of how news is produced and distributed. AI is used to find and identify news stories. AI can quickly analyze and research data. AI can do routine writing that is grammatically proficient, but lacks Pizzazz. AI can edit, queue the order of how stories appear on your screen, and assist fact-checkers.
AI can help to make news production faster, but it does not eliminate the need for human judgment. AI is not perfect and often makes mistakes. Humans still interview sources, verify facts, make ethical decisions, provide clear context for stories, and assume accountability for the news that is published or broadcast.
Media Resources
There are hundreds of thousands of media outlets: National and local newspapers, Television stations, Radio stations, Digital news websites, Magazines, Independent and investigative outlets, podcasts and newsletters.
In the United States, there are more than 1,200 commercial TV stations, 15,000 radio stations, 5,000 newspapers and thousands of digital news organizations. The list below is partial in scope. The Journalist Express is a comprehensive resource for media and research outlets. http://www.journalistexpress.com
Top News Sites
- · The Atlantic
- · Boston Globe
- · BBC
- · Buzz Feed
- · Columbia Journalism Review
- · The Daily Beast
- · The Economist
- · Foreign Affairs
- · The Guardian
- · Harper’s
- · Harvard Business Review
- · Huffington Post
- The Intercept
- · The Nation
- · The New York Times
- · The New Yorker
- NPR
- · Political Science Quarterly
- · Science News
- · Scientific American
- · Wall Street Journal
- · Washington Post
Fact-checking organizations
Anything you read, hear or see can be fact-checked by using one or all of the online resources listed below.
FactCheck.org, a nonprofit organization and a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, won a 2010 Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists.
PolitiFact.com, run by the Tampa Bay Times, received a 2009 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for its fact-checking efforts the previous year.
Snopes.com, privately run by Barbara and David Mikkelson, was given "high praise" by FactCheck.org, another fact-checking website; in addition, Network World gave Snopes.com a grade of "A" in a meta-analysis of fact-checking websites.
If you have questions about Media Integrity, or you are seeking additional information, please contact us news@prforpeople.com.
Patricia Vaccarino has written film scripts, press materials, content, essays, articles, book reviews, and eleven books, including the Yonkers Trilogy. Her nonfiction work American Spin (2015) offers insight into how the news gets made. Ms. Vaccarino founded Xanthus Communications LLC, a national P.R. firm, and the media company, PR for People®, where people share their news. She retired from Public Relations in 2019, but continues to maintain the PR for People news portal as a pro-bono enterprise. The digital magazine PR for People “The Connector” is now in its 15th year.
Patricia Vaccarino
Patricia Vaccarino is an accomplished writer who has written award-winning film scripts, press materials, articles, essays, speeches, web content, marketing collateral, and eleven books.