One of my colleagues (Dr. Ann Auman) just wrote a column on Civil Beat about this very topic, which explains some of the process we teach; check that out and let me know if you still have other questions: http://www.civilbeat.org/2016/12/try-these-tools-to-spot-fake-news/ ... I appreciate your willingness to open your mind and learn about this issue; it's becoming one of the most important topics in contemporary society.