Authors with different ideologies may differ on the meaning of the facts, but the facts of a story themselves should be the same, provided the source is ethical. If the facts of a story aren't reported by multiple sources or the details differ among the sources, consider digging further.
When verifying information through other sources, look for differences in reporting and emphasis. Use your judgment; are the differences innocent, or do you suspect a deliberate effort to mislead you?
In early 2017, Bruce Springsteen told a crowd in Australia, "We stand before you embarrassed Americans tonight." Several popular news sites later ran the headline "Bruce Springsteen is 'embarrassed' to be an American." Is Bruce embarrassed to be American, or are he and his band Americans who are also embarrassed? The difference may be slight, but it is there.
However, the press is charged with providing facts to the citizenry, not doing their interpretation for them. The line between news and editorial blogs seems to have blurred quite a bit.
Well-meaning people forward or often repost bulletins regarding missing persons long - sometimes years - after the subject of the story has been found.
Remember that some kinds of data are constantly updated, like population and crime statistics, climate data, or health information. Sometimes articles cite outdated or even debunked studies.
The CIA World Factbook is a trusted source of up-to-date data on "history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues" ("The World Factbook").
