Speaker 1: It can be difficult to determine if the information you're reading is real or fake. Misinformation abounds on the internet, but it's up to you to critically evaluate whether what you read or hear is the truth. Whether that's spotting fake websites, spotting fake emails, or even fake reviews on Amazon. Or most importantly, fact-checking the information you find on social media. But no one is an expert on everything, so it's a good thing that there are various websites dedicated to fact-checking online information. They make your life a little easier when trying to figure out whether what you're reading is nonsense or whether there's something to it. Of course, you shouldn't just rely on one site alone. So here are five of the best fact-checking sites that aren't snopes. Factcheck.org The Annenberg Public Policy Center project at the University of Pennsylvania has been around for a long time and has always enjoyed a reputation for debunking false claims, mostly those made by US politicians. While it does focus on political claims, FactCheck is a non-partisan and non-profit organization that monitors politicians' speeches, television ads, and news releases to keep them honest. Using the best fact-checking sites will help you engage in polite debate and have an informed opinion, and FactCheck.org is a prime example of a good one. In addition to keeping an eye on the integrity of American politicians, FactCheck's Facebook initiative works to debunk false information shared on the social network. You can also check out FactCheck's Viral Spiral feature or submit your own questions. BBC Reality Check BBC Reality Check is the fact-checking arm of the British Broadcasting Company. Launched in 2017, the BBC Reality Check team was assembled to fact-check and debunk fake news trying to pass itself off as real news. It looks at news flagged as misleading or false on sites like Facebook and publishes articles with a Reality Check category tag. While you can't exclusively search the Reality Check section by itself, if you spend some time reading their articles, you'll be in a much better position to know the truth. Lead Stories Lead Stories is the site behind the Trendalyzer engine, which shows you in real-time what stories, images, and videos are going viral right this minute. It then fact-checks those trending topics for hoaxes. The site is one of Facebook's partners in its effort to fight misinformation on the social media platform. MediaBiasFactCheck.com Fact-checking is not a one-and-done kind of effort. For it to work, several levels of review are needed. Enter Media Bias Fact Check, or MBFC. While the website's advert-riddled design doesn't inspire confidence, it is one of the best fact-checking sites for determining media bias. The site does go out of its way to inform visitors that it has no control over which ads are displayed, but the fact remains that there are quite a lot of them. Here's how MBFC works. Enter a media outlet's name or URL in the search bar, and MBFC will tell you whether the source is questionable or to what degree it has been proven to have a left, left-center, right-center, or right bias. Fact-checkers can also be categorized as conspiracy or pseudoscience if they sometimes publish unverifiable information or aren't supported by evidence. They can also be categorized as pro-science if they follow the scientific method and are evidence-based. In addition to listing third-party fact-checking extensions it likes, MBFC also offers its own official Media Bias Fact Check extension for Chrome and Firefox. ReportersLab.org Excuse me while I get a little meta here. At the Duke University Reporters Lab, you'll find a database of fact-checking sites, as well as a roundup of tools to help you and other fact-checkers, well, check facts. The Reporters Lab is housed at the Sanford School of Public Policy. It'll give you a sense of the state of fact-checking around the world and fact-checking innovations you can look forward to. The interactive map is beneficial if you're looking for local fact-checking sources. Hopefully, these five sites will help you get a better handle on what's really going on. But if you want even more fact-checking goodness, check out the article linked below for another five great alternatives. See you next time.