Not everything online is news. Recognising what kind of content you are reading changes how you should evaluate it.
A headline and a satirical joke can look almost identical on a feed. An advertisement can be written to look like a news article. An opinion column can carry all the visual weight of a report. The format tells you what rules apply, what the author's purpose is, and what you are actually being asked to believe.
Misidentifying format is one of the most common errors in online reading. Someone shares a satirical article as breaking news. Someone treats a paid promotion as an independent review. Someone accepts opinion as verified fact. The fix is not more skepticism: it is learning to recognise what you are looking at.
Aims to inform. Verified by named sources, facts, and transparent methods. Should be distinguished from the publication's own views.
The author makes an argument based on evidence and values. Valid and important, but you are reading a perspective, not a factual account.
Uses humour and irony to comment on events or power. Legitimate art form, but dangerous when mistaken for factual reporting.
The goal is to sell a product, service, or idea. Legally required to be labelled, but labels are often minimal or easy to miss.
Headlines designed to provoke emotion and generate clicks, often by exaggerating, omitting context, or implying more than the story delivers. The content rarely matches the promise of the headline.
These categories sometimes overlap: an opinion piece can use satirical techniques; an ad can present itself as news. The skill is catching when that is happening.
Click each example to see its format and what gives it away.
"The city council voted 7 to 4 on Tuesday to approve the expanded bus network, citing data from a 2024 transport study. Councillor Andrade dissented, citing budget concerns."
Format: News. Named actors, specific date, verifiable vote count, reference to a study. Presents facts with attribution. You can follow up on the transport study independently.
"The council made the right call. After years of underfunding public transit, this expansion is overdue. Critics who cite cost concerns are missing the long-term picture."
Format: Opinion. First-person evaluative language, moral framing, and a direct argument. This is a legitimate perspective. But the author is advocating, not reporting. Read it as an argument, not a fact.
"In a bold move, the city council has approved a transport plan powered entirely by the hope that funding will materialise before 2027."
Format: Satire. Absurdist exaggeration to comment on a real situation. Designed to make you laugh and think, not to report facts. Satire sites often have clear labels, but headlines can be shared out of context.
"After the council's decision, transit app BusRoute Pro is already helping commuters adapt. Sponsored content."
Format: Advertisement. Even with a label, sponsored content is designed to sell. The information it contains serves the advertiser's interests. That does not make it false, but it does mean you should look for independent sources before acting on it.
"You won't believe what the council just voted for. The decision that has everyone talking."
Format: Clickbait. No information, maximum intrigue. The headline is designed to produce curiosity and clicks. The article may contain real news buried under the framing, or it may contain almost nothing. Never judge the story by this headline alone.
Answer each question correctly to unlock the next one.
Read each post and identify its format: News, Opinion, Satire, Ad, or Clickbait. Score at least 4 out of 6 to pass.
Apply what you have learned. Each question unlocks after the previous answer.
Think of the last article or post you shared or repeated to someone. What format was it? News, opinion, satire, ad, or something harder to pin down? Did you know that at the time?
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