The terms ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative facts’ have been thrown around for months now, and while your definition of what constitutes fake news may differ depending on your political leanings, the fact that these terms have risen to the top of national discourse is concerning. As PR professionals, it’s hard not to take a step back and examine how our role as communicators influenced the rise of fake news and alternative facts.

As PR professionals, much of what we do is reading, absorbing, and decoding news. What we read in the media plays a large role in creating our foundation for reality, so knowing now to analyze the accuracy of reporting is vital, especially during a pandemic. Here are a few tips that have helped me distinguish fake or misleading news and data from the real deal: