As Pilate asked Jesus, what is truth? (That was pretty ironic since The Truth was standing right there in his face.) Ultimately, Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life, as John 14:6 says. No one gets to the Father but through Him. And we need His help to navigate this world and the information presented to us as "truth". Of course, lies are nothing new; they've been around in our world since the serpent sold his lies to humans back in Genesis 3. In a world where the American President routinely decries media outlets as "fake news" and his administration touts the idea of "alternative facts"- and even video and audio clips can be manipulated and information and ideas are thrown at you around the world all the time- how can anyone determine what's true or not?
It is worth noting that there are reporters who are rude and off-topic with questions at times and I grieve for that too. That is not right either. I can understand how that can put one off to the media and make one distrustful of them. And yes- some are outright liars. I am grieved that the journalism field has come to this. It's personal for me because it's the field I got my bachelor's degree in and the one where I had some of my first jobs. The media can and should be better- no question. I just don't want to wholesale cast it all off as I know there are still journalists out there who try to be accurate and unbiased as possible. This is a great and tricky question and let me be clear to say that I certainly do not claim to know it all or even know best.
It is worth noting that there are reporters who are rude and off-topic with questions at times and I grieve for that too. That is not right either. I can understand how that can put one off to the media and make one distrustful of them. And yes- some are outright liars. I am grieved that the journalism field has come to this. It's personal for me because it's the field I got my bachelor's degree in and the one where I had some of my first jobs. The media can and should be better- no question. I just don't want to wholesale cast it all off as I know there are still journalists out there who try to be accurate and unbiased as possible. This is a great and tricky question and let me be clear to say that I certainly do not claim to know it all or even know best.
My best recommendation would be to follow what Proverbs says throughout chapters 1-3 and seek wisdom. Psalms 90:12 implores The Lord to teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Proverbs 1:7 says the fear of The Lord is the beginning of knowledge. This is where we must start. I know you're already grounded there, of course.
We should pray and ask The Holy Spirit to give us discernment and to guide us into all truth.
We should also do as 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 says. Test everything! We should be like the Bereans in Acts 17 and check the Scriptures for ourselves to make sure the pastor is really preaching God's Word accurately.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 are my go-to librarian verses too. Be willing to read everything from multiple sources. If there are good things to take from them, hold on to those. Discard the bad stuff. Avoid every appearance of evil. Ultimately, put hope and trust in Jesus above any human. (Isaiah 2:22) Let God be true and every man a liar.
Here are some other practical tips one can use in assessing the veracity of a news report.
- Consider the source. Remember that tabloids are not credible news sources. And don't forget that satirical sites and publications put forth articles as "news" as well. And remember that newspapers also have editorials that are only opinion pieces- not news. The same goes for some TV shows that are more opinions on the news, rather than news sources themselves.
Here's an interesting experiment to try. When I had access to cable TV, I used to watch news coverage on CNN, MSNBC and FOX. It was very interesting to see how all three networks covered the same story. Somewhere in the middle of all those, there's a kernel of truth, once you get past any opinion biases. You could also do the same with newspapers and Web sites.
-Check the date and author and "About" section on a Web site or newspaper or TV show or radio broadcast, etc.
Make sure it's current information and that such information is even present. Anyone can write anything and put it out there now. I would be highly suspicious of any source that doesn't provide such information. This allows for accountability. Is this a reliable news source that has earned trust over time from competitors as well as readers/viewers?
-Consider possible motives behind stories and whether anything has been left out. What other questions have not been answered? What sources have not been tapped?
Are there conflicting stories elsewhere? How do they match up?
-Don't forget the old adage- if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Thus, is the article or news broadcast trying to sell you on something? Be on the look out for persuasive and manipulative techniques. Who benefits from it?
Here are a few other tips to try.
In the end, it comes down to discernment and critical thinking and ultimately being led by The Spirit. As Lion-O calls on the Sword of Omens to give him "sight beyond sight" on Thundercats (I've been watching a lot of this childhood favourite cartoon lately :-)), we must do the same with The Sword of The Spirit and The Holy Spirit Himself. We must ask Him for insight and walk by faith, not sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) As Obi-Wan Kenobi told Luke Skywalker, "Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them." (in the original Star Wars movie. :-))
And remember to be both wise and gentle at the same time. We always want to be charitable and willing to consider different opinions, even if we don't agree with them all. As Jesus said, we must be as wise as serpents and gentle as doves. And we must love Him with all we've got first, love our neighbour as ourselves and speak The Truth in Love. (And Jesus is The Truth and Way and Life- so we must share The Gospel in love always.)
I have also found it to be a good though challenging exercise to dialogue with those who believe differently as well as read articles and books that are anathema to my faith in Christ. (Note that I am not advising that as a general rule for everything. There are some things that I don't think are particularly helpful for us as Christians in any way. Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial.) However, I have found it helpful to read and listen to some things in the anathema category in order to try to understand other points of view and seek common ground where I can agree with someone and compliment them on good points so that I might be able to share The Gospel with them. For one example, I once read a Jewish apologist book that explained Jewish views and answers to Christian claims in order to better converse about Yeshua The Messiah with an Orthodox Jew I met. I also still have a Mormon tract somewhere I believe, where I read through their claims and then offered counter points from The Bible to a friend to consider.
(I just offer those as examples; not to say that I am all that great because I have blown many opportunities too.)
That is the thing I would point Christians to above all things. Let's make sure that we are ultimately most focused on Christ and sharing Him and His Word with others and trust Him for guidance in navigating our messed up world. And pray for one another and encourage one another and all the more as you see The Day approaching.
I hope this is a little helpful in answering this question. May God bless you and your family and continue to use you for His glory as you seek to know Him and make Him known.
As a librarian, I like to say, "Keep reading!" As a Christian I say, "I don't care if you read any other books- just read The Bible; that's the Best Book because it's God's Book." 
Good advice!
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