Helping Students Think Like Fact-Checkers: Lateral Reading with an Online Writing Coach

In the digital age, the ways we gather, verify, and interpret information have changed. Gone are the days when research exclusively meant consulting books, journals, and encyclopedias housed in physical libraries. Today, information is immediate, abundant, and often overwhelming. Anyone with an internet connection can publish content that looks credible on the surface. This reality makes critical evaluation not just a useful skill, but a necessary one. Among the strategies developed to navigate the digital landscape, lateral reading has emerged as one of the most powerful methods for assessing the credibility of online information. While it is primarily discussed in the context of fact-checking and research, lateral reading also holds tremendous value in rhetorical analysis. Moreover, students can benefit significantly from learning this skill with the guidance of an online writing coach who can model the practice, provide feedback, and help students apply it meaningfully in their academic and personal writing.

Lateral reading is a strategy used by professional fact-checkers and researchers to evaluate the reliability of online sources. Unlike reading methods that involve staying within a single website—what some educators call "vertical reading"—lateral reading requires readers to leave the source they are viewing and consult external resources. When encountering a claim, an organization, or an unfamiliar author, lateral readers open new tabs to investigate what others say about that source. This might include looking up news coverage, checking fact-checking websites, or reading profiles from reputable organizations. The goal is to verify the source’s credibility through independent, external information rather than relying on how the source presents itself.

Consider, for example, a student who comes across a website making bold claims about climate change being a hoax. A vertical reading approach might involve the student navigating within that website, reading its "About Us" page, and examining its articles. However, this approach keeps the student inside the informational bubble created by the source itself. A lateral reader, by contrast, would pause, open new browser tabs, and investigate what reputable news outlets, scientific organizations, or academic institutions say about the website and its authors. By seeking external perspectives, the student can determine whether the source has a recognized bias, a history of misinformation, or legitimate expertise.

This method of evaluation is crucial because digital platforms are full of persuasive but misleading content. Some websites are designed to appear professional and authoritative while promoting misinformation or biased agendas. Teaching students to recognize these tactics is not always straightforward. This is where the role of an online writing coach becomes particularly valuable. A skilled writing coach can introduce students to lateral reading as a research habit, modeling the process through live, guided sessions. By working alongside a coach, students can practice opening multiple tabs, cross-referencing sources, and learning to distinguish between reputable and questionable information. The coach can prompt students to explain their reasoning, ask critical questions, and reflect on how their findings influence the way they present information in their writing.

Lateral reading is not only useful for verifying facts but also plays a key role in rhetorical analysis. Rhetorical analysis involves examining how authors construct arguments, appeal to audiences, and use language to persuade. To analyze a text effectively, students must consider the source’s credibility, purpose, and context. Lateral reading helps students uncover these elements by encouraging them to investigate who the author is, what organization they represent, and what larger conversations or controversies the text participates in. For example, a student analyzing an opinion piece on renewable energy will produce a far stronger analysis if they first research the author's background, funding sources, and previous publications. Lateral reading provides the contextual understanding necessary to assess not just what the author says, but why they might be saying it and how their position fits into broader debates.

An online writing coach can design exercises where students practice investigating sources before drafting their own arguments. They can also help students apply lateral reading to analyze persuasive strategies, showing how authors build ethos, pathos, and logos based on their positioning within larger conversations. This integrated approach strengthens students' critical thinking and equips them to write with greater awareness of audience, context, and evidence.

Furthermore, online writing coaches are uniquely positioned to provide personalized feedback that helps students refine their lateral reading skills over time. Unlike one-size-fits-all classroom instruction, one-on-one coaching allows the coach to meet students where they are, addressing their specific misconceptions and guiding them through the process at a pace that supports deep learning. For example, a coach can work with a student to analyze a draft, identify weak or questionable sources, and practice lateral reading to find stronger evidence. Through this process, students learn not only to improve a single piece of writing but to adopt a research habit that will serve them across disciplines and in everyday life.

In an era when misinformation spreads quickly and appears in forms that can seem convincing to the untrained eye, teaching students to think critically about sources is more urgent than ever. Lateral reading provides a concrete, actionable strategy for doing just that. It moves students beyond superficial engagement with information and trains them to seek an independent understanding. When paired with rhetorical analysis, lateral reading deepens students' understanding of how texts function within larger social and political contexts. Writing becomes not just an act of putting words on a page, but a process of engaging with ideas, evaluating perspectives, and contributing to informed conversations.

An online writing coach can play a crucial role in helping students develop these skills. By modeling the process, providing guided practice, and offering personalized feedback, a coach empowers students to become more discerning researchers and more thoughtful writers. Whether students are working on academic papers, personal essays, or professional communications, the ability to read laterally and think rhetorically equips them to navigate the complexities of the information age with confidence and integrity.