5 Ways to Spot a BS Political Story in Under 10 Seconds

Political journos and junkies take note: Cracked creates a handy guide to evaluate an article’s newsworthiness:

#5. The Headline Contains the Word “Gaffe”
A politician accidentally misspoke in a way that made him or her look silly, and the opponents are pouncing on it.

#4. The Headline Ends in a Question Mark
A news story so questionable the publication literally felt the need to mark it as such.

#3. The Headline Contains the Word “Blasts”
A politician or other prominent person has taken to a microphone to say something inflammatory about the other side, usually by rephrasing their own party’s talking points over and over.

#2. The Headline Is About a “Lawmaker” Saying Something Stupid
A low-level politician with no power said something incredibly stupid, and the opposing party is trumpeting it from the mountaintops to make everyone in the low-level politician’s party look stupid.

#1. The Headline Includes the Phrase “Blow To”
Neglecting to explain hugely important policy changes in favor of focusing on the drama, and how it affects the personal political careers of the politicians involved.

Read through for explanations and examples of each.

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