No jargon required
Clear definitions for words that news reports often use without stopping to explain. Knowing a term should help you evaluate the story, not merely repeat it.
34 terms
Media literacy
A claim that has been made but has not yet been established as fact.
In the news: Responsible reporting attributes an allegation and explains what evidence is available or missing.
Related: Primary source · Source transparency
Media literacy
A person who gives information to a journalist without being publicly named.
In the news: Anonymity can protect a source from retaliation, but readers should be told why it was granted and how the information was checked.
Related: Source transparency · Primary source
Government & law
Money that a legislature formally authorizes a government agency or program to spend.
In the news: A law can create a program, but the program may still depend on later appropriations to operate.
Related: Committee markup · Regulation
Money & economy
One hundredth of one percentage point. One hundred basis points equal one percentage point.
In the news: Central banks and markets use basis points to describe small changes in interest rates precisely.
Related: Interest rate · Inflation
Science & health
A medicine made from living cells or organisms rather than assembled only through chemical synthesis.
In the news: Biologics often have different development costs, patent rules, and price-negotiation timelines from traditional drugs.
Related: Clinical trial · Small-molecule drug
Government & law
Supported or produced by members of two major political parties.
In the news: Bipartisan does not mean unanimous or nonpolitical; it describes the coalition supporting a measure.
Related: Committee markup · Federal preemption
Money & economy
The minimum financial cushion a regulated bank must maintain against possible losses.
In the news: Higher requirements can make banks safer, while critics argue they can also constrain lending.
Related: Liquidity · Interest rate
Science & health
A structured study in people that tests the safety or effectiveness of a medical intervention.
In the news: The trial phase, participant count, comparison group, and measured outcome all affect how strong a medical claim is.
Related: Peer review · Biologic
Government & law
A legislative meeting where committee members debate, amend, and vote on a bill before it can advance.
In the news: A bill clearing markup has moved forward, but it has not necessarily passed either chamber or become law.
Related: Appropriation · Bipartisan
Media literacy
A published notice that fixes a factual error in earlier reporting.
In the news: A useful correction identifies what was wrong, supplies the accurate information, and records when the change was made.
Related: Source transparency · Framing
Government & law
A rule under which federal law overrides some or all state laws on the same subject.
In the news: The scope of preemption can determine whether states may keep stronger protections than a federal baseline.
Related: Regulation · Private right of action
World affairs
Media literacy
The facts, language, context, and consequences a report chooses to emphasize.
In the news: Two reports can contain accurate facts while leading readers toward different interpretations through framing.
Related: Opinion · Source transparency
Money & economy
The total value of goods and services produced within a country during a period.
In the news: GDP measures economic output, not how evenly income is distributed or whether people feel financially secure.
Related: Inflation · Interest rate
Money & economy
A broad rise in prices that reduces the purchasing power of money over time.
In the news: A lower inflation rate means prices are rising more slowly; it does not usually mean prices have returned to earlier levels.
Related: Interest rate · Basis point
Money & economy
The price paid to borrow money, usually expressed as a percentage of the amount borrowed.
In the news: Policy rates influence mortgages, business loans, savings returns, investment, and demand across the economy.
Related: Inflation · Basis point
Money & economy
How readily an asset can be converted to cash, or how much cash an institution can access quickly.
In the news: A solvent bank can still fail if it cannot meet immediate withdrawals or payment obligations.
Related: Capital requirement · Interest rate
Science & health
The part of the U.S. Medicare program that helps cover outpatient prescription drugs.
In the news: Part D policy affects drug formularies, premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and federal price negotiation.
Related: Biologic · Small-molecule drug
Science & health
A result in which a process releases more usable energy than the measured energy delivered directly to it.
In the news: Fusion announcements may use different system boundaries, so readers should check which inputs and outputs are being counted.
Related: Peer review
Media literacy
A conclusion, judgment, or argument based on facts and values rather than a directly verifiable fact itself.
In the news: Opinion should be labeled clearly and should not be presented as straight reporting.
Related: Framing · Primary source
Science & health
Evaluation of research by other qualified specialists before or after publication.
In the news: Peer review can catch weaknesses, but it does not guarantee that a result is final or correct.
Related: Clinical trial · Net energy gain
Media literacy
Original evidence such as a law, court filing, dataset, interview, speech, study, or official record.
In the news: Primary sources let readers inspect the evidence directly, though they still require context and interpretation.
Related: Secondary source · Source transparency
Government & law
Legal authority allowing an individual to sue over a violation rather than relying only on government enforcement.
In the news: Supporters call it direct accountability; critics may warn about litigation costs or inconsistent enforcement.
Related: Federal preemption · Right to cure
Money & economy
A retirement plan for government employees that generally promises benefits under a formula.
In the news: Funding levels depend on contributions, investment returns, fees, assumptions, and promised benefits.
Related: Capital requirement
Government & law
A binding rule made and enforced by a government authority under powers granted by law.
In the news: Debates often concern who writes the rule, who bears its costs, how it is enforced, and whether the agency exceeded its authority.
Related: Federal preemption · Right to cure
Government & law
A period allowing a person or company to correct a violation before penalties or a lawsuit proceed.
In the news: A cure period can protect good-faith mistakes, while critics may say it weakens deterrence for repeat violations.
Related: Private right of action · Regulation
World affairs
Trade rules that determine where a product legally comes from based on its materials and production.
In the news: They prevent goods from receiving trade benefits merely by passing through a member country.
Related: Tariff · Supply chain
World affairs
Restrictions on trade, finance, travel, or property imposed to pressure a government, organization, or person.
In the news: The design, enforcement, exemptions, and effects on civilians all matter when evaluating sanctions.
Related: Treaty · Supply chain
Media literacy
Reporting or analysis that interprets, summarizes, or evaluates information from primary sources.
In the news: A strong secondary source explains its evidence and links or identifies the underlying records when possible.
Related: Primary source · Source transparency
Science & health
A medicine made from relatively small chemical compounds, often produced as a pill or capsule.
In the news: These drugs can face different patent, generic-competition, and Medicare negotiation timelines from biologics.
Related: Biologic · Medicare Part D
Media literacy
Clear disclosure of where information came from, how it was checked, and what evidence readers cannot inspect.
In the news: Transparency helps readers judge a report without requiring them to trust a publication blindly.
Related: Primary source · Anonymous source · Correction
World affairs
The network of suppliers, producers, transport systems, and sellers involved in making and delivering something.
In the news: Disruptions can arise from conflict, weather, labor action, regulation, shortages, or concentration in one region.
Related: Rules of origin · Tariff
World affairs
A tax charged on imported goods.
In the news: Tariffs can protect domestic producers, raise revenue, invite retaliation, and increase costs for importers or consumers.
Related: Rules of origin · Supply chain
World affairs
A formal agreement between countries governed by international law.
In the news: Signing, ratification, domestic implementation, and enforcement are separate stages.
Related: Sanctions · Flag state