I have a couple good rules of thumb.

What are the experts saying? Not the loud people, the experts. Incredible news would have them talking.

Would the reverse of an idea also be true? If the president is responsible for high gas prices, do people agree he’d be responsible for low ones?

Does the idea try to make me feel? If there’s clear emotional intent in a story, the facts are probably being shaped to fit the narrative.

Do I see evidence of the widespread problem here? Should I? I remember an article about a couple who flew short hops across the US, and they said at every stop the story was “things are horrible everywhere, we’re just lucky they’re good here.”

Do I hear people using the same talking points, but they get confused when you ask for details? Often this is a story made to make you feel, not think.

They’re a lot like american seperatists, but with a large bank roller behind them (russia).

Lemmy is slowly accumulating mass - I’d really love it if we gained a number of strong niche communities, but didn’t turn into a reddit due to mass influx.