Something I liked about the book is how straightforward it is. I have found that a lot of academic readings and articles, in general, tend to use over-complicated language to discuss very simple things. The book easily lays out fact-checking sites and puts them within categories in and outside of the US and more niche areas of research. This makes eases accessibility and overall is very helpful.
Something that I found very interesting was the concept of reading laterally. Many times when checking for the reliability of a source I may go to the about page and read more about it without really ever thinking that “even if the site is generally trustworthy, it is inclined to paint the most favorable picture of its expertise and credibility possible.” (page 82). What was said is very true but is not something that you say to yourself, especially if you agree and like what the article is discussing. The correct way to check whether a source is reliable or not is to see what other parties that are affiliated with it have said and commented about it which I will definitely be doing from now on. Caufield further demonstrates how to check for reliability through search syntax, he used The Gazette as an example and showed how to find out whether or not it is a reputable newspaper through the search of “baltimoregazette.com-site:baltimoregazette.com”. Which then showed sites that challenged the newspaper’s reputation.
I will make to apply what I have learned from his reading, especially with reading laterally as it is very important to have the correct information, especially in economics as we discuss politics and things related to it often which can be often customized due to political parties. He also explained how to find the sources of photos and see whether or not they are legitimate which I haven’t really ever had to do but could see how it is helpful and important to know.