(Photo courtesy of FORJ)
Helpful resources can combat the spread of misinformation, especially in a vacuum of local journalism.
FORJ exists to revitalize local journalism. It is more critical than ever to ensure people everywhere have access to current, accurate news. This month, we’re sharing a Media Literacy Checklist with helpful tools for both seasoned journalists and to promote well-informed readers.
Anyone can use the strategies and tools below to verify the information you read, see, and share. Practicing media literacy helps combat misinformation and builds trust in credible sources. Join us as we
🔲 Lateral Reading – Check multiple reputable sources before accepting a claim.
Tool: NewsGuard.
🔲 Source Tracing – Find the original source, not just a summary or meme.
Tools: FactCheck.org and PolitiFact.
🔲 Reverse Image Search – Spot reused or miscaptioned photos.
Tools: Google Images and TinEye.
🔲 Bias & Language Check – Compare coverage from different perspectives.
Tool: AllSides.
🔲 Interactive Learning – Practice spotting misinformation.
Tool: Checkology.
🔲 Verify Social Media Claims – Check viral posts before sharing.
Tool: Snopes.
Remember: The best defense against misinformation is a curious, well-equipped reader who asks, “How do I know this is true?”
America’s News Desert Grows as More Local Papers Close — READ THE STORY
Across the country, communities face a deepening crisis of democracy and civic trust as local news sources shutter. For an update on the latest numbers and impact of news deserts, check out this piece in The Seattle Times Voices for a Free Press newsletter, written by frequent FORJ Rural Journalism Conference presenter Briar Dudley. FORJ is building the infrastructure and tools to turn this tide.
America’s news desert grows as more local papers close
by Briar Dudley, Voices for the Free Press newsletter of The Seattle Times
As proposals to help save local journalism gathered dust in Congress and mostly fizzled in state legislatures over the last year, 136 more newspapers closed, according to a new report.
More than half of U.S. counties are now news deserts, leaving 50 million Americans with little to no local reporting on their communities, according to the State of Local News 2025 report by Northwestern University’s Medill School.
It found 213 counties now have no local news outlet and 1,524 have only one, usually a weekly newspaper…
