All media outlets and individuals may not agree on an exact definition of real news or real media, but real news and real media have specific qualities:
One of the ways in which a news source can show it is authentic and responsible is by adhering to a publicly-accessible code of ethics or standards. A sample of various codes, mission statements, and ethics handbooks from journalism organizations are listed below.
Source: "Webinar Recording | What does it mean to be 'news-literate'?" by News Literacy Project:" Jan. 27, 2023: "In this webinar, we’ll provide an overview of the news literacy concepts and skills that students need in order to be reliably informed, such as recognizing the difference between news and other types of information, including opinion and propaganda. We will use the standards of quality journalism to identify credible news sources and common types of misinformation." (description from News Literacy Project YouTube website)
| term | definition | source |
| bias | a) an inclination of temperament or outlook; especially: a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment : PREJUDICE; b) an instance of such prejudice |
Merriam- Webster Dictionary |
| clickbait | an internet story, title, image, etc. that is intended to attract attention and encourage people to click on a link | Cambridge Dictionary |
| confirmation bias | people’s tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with their existing beliefs. | Britannica |
| crisis actor |
a professional or volunteer actor who plays a role in a staged drill in order to prepare or train first responders for a specific emergency scenario; or (in a false flag conspiracy theory) a person pretending to be a victim in a hoax attack. |
Dictionary.com |
| deepfake | any of various media, esp. a video, that has been digitally manipulated to replace one person's likeness convincingly with that of another, often used maliciously to show someone doing something that he or she did not do. | Oxford Languages |
| disinformation | deliberately misleading or biased information; manipulated narrative or facts; propaganda | Dictionary.com |
| filter bubble | an environment and especially an online environment in which people are exposed only to opinions and information that conform to their existing beliefs | Merriam- Webster Dictionary |
| go viral | if a video, image, or story goes viral, it spreads quickly and widely on the internet through social media and email. | Collins Dictionary |
| misinformation | incorrect or misleading information | Merriam- Webster Dictionary |
| parody | a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule | Merriam- Webster Dictionary |
| satire | a poem or (in later use) a novel, film, or other work of art which uses humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize prevailing immorality or foolishness, esp. as a form of social or political commentary. | Oxford Languages |
| troll | a troll is Internet slang for a person who intentionally tries to instigate conflict, hostility, or arguments in an online social community. | GCF Global |