To help distinguish legitimate news from the tsunami of disinformation and propaganda from Russian bots, partisan zealots and talking heads at disreputable media companies, here are useful questions to ask yourself courtesy the International Federation of Library Associations:

• Consider the source. Click away from the story to investigate the site, its mission and its contact information.
• Check the author. Do a quick search on the author. Are they credible? Are they even real?
• Check the date. Re-posting old news stories doesn't mean they're relevant to current events.
• Read beyond. Headlines can be outrageous in an effort to get clicks. What's the whole story?
• Supporting sources. Click on those links. Determine if the information given actually supports the story.
• Is it a joke? If it is too outlandish, it might be satire. Research the site and author to be sure.
• Ask the experts. Ask a librarian, or consult a fact-checking site.