I am a professional researcher and analyst by trade. People have been asking me how I am able to tell what is true and what is not true given all of the deception, deep fakes, and BS going around. Here is a primer.
First things first, lose your political affiliations, biases, hopes, and dreams whenever you enter into research. You have to start by being an impartial investigator, like you would be if you were trying to solve a crime case. This requires putting down all of your pride and identity weapons because they will cloud your judgment.
Then research, analysis, discernment. Sniff out patterns.  Listen to various sides of the argument— even from people who you ordinarily would not affiliate with. The truth sometimes rides in on the back of a jackass. Every diligent journalist and investigator knows this, by the way. 
Test all angles thoroughly . Pattern recognition, contrast, correlation, congruence are important methods. 
Take biblical scripture for example. There are so many theologies. But we need not speculate. We can do as the Bereans did and test every single thing we are told against the actual word testified by all 40 authors.  Example: If you take John 3:16 in a vacuum, you might fall under the belief that simply believing in the existence of Jesus is salvation.  But then, if you read everything else Jesus said, along with those who expand on what he said, you find that there is more to it than simply believing he existed.
Truth finding in the age of mass deception requires diligent study. Alas, this is the reason so many people are ignorant.  They don’t want to study. They don’t want to analyze. They are stuck in their ways, and all they want to do is simply confirm their biases. people who have never researched or analyzed anything in their life come on this page and call me an idiot. It’s laughable and sad. Sadly most people are not seeking truth, they are seeking to confirm their biases.  They read everything through the lens of bias rather than sincere motive to get down to the bottom of the truth. And this is why they are still blind. 
Understanding motives is also critically important. Example: if a person demonstrates over and over that they live for money, power, fame, and glory, then they actually make it easy to understand why they are making the decisions they are making. What we are talking about here as witness credibility.
This is why witnesses are tested on the stand before they can participate in a trial. The question is “is this person’s testimony credible based on their character?” This is another reason so many people are lost: when trying to determine if a leader or authority is telling the truth, they are not taking character/motive into account. That is a fatal error in investigative research.
No one ever said truth seeking would be easy. But it’s worth it. Because in the end, it is literally the truth that makes you free. I for one seek freedom, and I know the only way to freedom is truth. John 8:32
MJ
Author of Total Tech Takeover, https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0FVG3MQPW