A key skill in media literacy is the ability to look behind the veil of those who want our attention—media outlets, social media influencers and bloggers—to investigate their allegiances, sponsorships and business models.

For instance, these are some key questions to ask:

who is behind that think tank whose views you are retweeting?

who owns the online newspaper you read and what other commercial interests do they hold?

is your media diet dominated by news produced from the same corporate entity?

why does someone need to be so loud or insulting in their commentary; is this indicative of their neglect of important facts that might counter their view?

what might an individual or company have to gain or lose by taking a position on an issue, and how might that influence their opinion?

Just because someone has an agenda does not mean their facts are wrong—but it is a good reason to be even more skeptical in your verification processes.