General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Should DU have an alert or policy for posts with suspected fake news sources? [View all]ColemanMaskell
(783 posts)Besides leaving out some obviously fake news sources like National Enquirer, the list includes a large number of things that are not news sites at all -- like the Borowitz Report, clearly labeled satire at the top of every article; and like DU, as has been pointed out above, which also is not a news site. By what appear to be their criteria, Fox News belongs on the list too, but of course it isn't listed.
They seem to include anything that might possibly be mistaken for a news site, if they happen to have noticed it. They include some satire sites but not others. They lump bias in with outright lies, when clearly those are two different things.
Still, it's a starting point. It's something to check. Vastly better than having no list. You do have to exercise your own judgment on how you use it.
If some site is found on the list, it doesn't mean any particular story you found on the site is inaccurate, but it probably does mean you should try to double-check the story with a quick google search for supporting (or contradicting) accounts. In my opinion.
Similarly, though, if some source is not found on the list -- Fox News or the National Enquirer, say -- it certainly doesn't mean you can trust the source.