Reading News Online

Knowing what's going on
in the world is awesome.

But reading the news online can be tricky.

What you see
can be distracting, confusing,

or even completely false.

So, if you're reading
a news article online,

it's important to know your way around.

The URL is a one-of-a-kind address

for every web page.

Always double-check

to make sure you're actually
on the page you're looking for.

Headlines tell us
what the story is all about,

but sometimes they can exaggerate

or say something different
from the article

to get you to click on them.

Most news sites have different sections
to tell you what type of article

you are reading.

If you want the facts,

just be sure you're not
on an opinion article.

The byline is the writer's name,

and the date is when it was published.

No byline, no date?

The article might not be trustworthy.

Images or videos help introduce the story
and show details that words can't,

but pictures that seem
too crazy to be true

or ads before a video
could be misleading.

Related articles can be useful,

but keep an eye out for pieces
that don't report just the news.

Sponsored content is links
to things on other websites.

But watch out for clickbait;

don't let shocking headlines
or wild images trick you into clicking.

Advertisements link to other websites
that are usually selling something,

but some ads are disguised
to look like news.

The comments section has thoughts
and opinions from readers,

but remember that anyone can
post just about anything there,

even if it's mean or completely untrue.

It's a lot to keep in mind,

but if you know what to look for
and what to look out for,

you'll be the first to get the story.

[How Do You Read News Online?]