Free Checklist — Media Audit
7 Questions to Ask Before You Believe Anything.
The problem is not that people are gullible. The problem is that they have no framework for evaluation — only a vague sense that some sources are trustworthy and others are not.
These seven questions apply to any claim, any source, any story. Use them in the order they appear, or keep the short version somewhere you will actually see it.
Use this checklist when
A news story that feels urgent or outrageous
A statistic cited in a political argument
A health or science claim in a mainstream outlet
An expert opinion on a contested topic
A viral post or clip that everyone seems to be sharing
A belief you have held for years without examining
The checklist
Who published this — and what do they profit from you believing it?
Every outlet, institution, or individual has incentives. This isn't cynicism — it's the starting point. A pharmaceutical company funding a drug study is not neutral. A government-funded broadcaster is not neutral. Neither is an activist journalist. Knowing who profits doesn't tell you the story is wrong. It tells you which direction any distortion is likely to run.
What is the source of the actual data — and have you seen it?
Most reporting cites other reporting. Follow the chain until you reach the original study, the primary source, the raw data. If the chain ends in 'experts say' or 'sources familiar with the matter,' there is no chain. The claim is floating.
What does the strongest counterargument say?
Not a strawman. The best-faith, most rigorous case made by an intelligent person who disagrees. If you cannot state the opposing position accurately enough that its supporters would recognise it, you have not understood the issue. You have consumed one side of it.
Is this story being amplified — or reported?
Amplification is not journalism. A tweet going viral, a clip shared across platforms, a quote pulled from context — these are not news events. They are signals that something is emotionally useful to someone. Ask whether the event actually occurred or whether the event is the amplification itself.
What is left out?
Stories are not lies — they are selections. The most powerful form of distortion is not what is said but what is not said. Ask what context, what counterevidence, what complicating facts are absent from the account you're reading. Absence is often where the argument lives.
Would I find this persuasive if the conclusion confirmed the opposite of what I believe?
This is the sharpest test. If the same level of sourcing, the same type of expert, the same style of argument appeared in support of a position you dislike — would you find it convincing? If not, you are not evaluating evidence. You are ratifying conclusions you already hold.
What would I need to see to change my mind on this?
If no evidence could shift your position, you do not have a reasoned view. You have an identity. That is worth knowing. The inability to answer this question is one of the clearest signs that a belief is not genuinely held — it is performed.
Get the printable version
Download the Media Audit checklist.
A single-page PDF — the seven questions compressed to a format you can keep at your desk or phone. Designed to be consulted quickly, in the moment.
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If this is useful
The Source Audit goes deeper.
Where this checklist evaluates incoming information, the Source Audit examines the beliefs you already hold — tracing them back to their actual origin. Together, they cover both directions.