When you read a news article critically, what should you check before trusting it?

Whether the figures were verified, how loaded the wording is, and what sources the piece actually rests on.

Source criticism applies to finished articles, not just to a journalist's raw inputs. Three checks expose a weak piece:

• Were the numbers and claims verified? An article asserting "traffic dropped 20%" should show where that figure comes from — an author who didn't check it is just relaying someone else's assertion.
• How is it worded? Emotionally charged or one-sided word choice and framing reveal a slant; neutral reporting and persuasion read differently.
• What sources are cited, and were they checked? A piece that names independent, verifiable sources is far stronger than one leaning on a single interested party or none at all.

The same article can look authoritative and still fail all three — confident tone is not evidence, which is exactly why these checks exist.