- Sara M.
- Monday, March 14, 2022
These days we have access to more information than we've ever had before - which means we have access to more wrong information than we've ever had before.
With the addition of social media to our traditional news sources, it can be difficult to tell what information you should believe - and most importantly, what information you should share and spread to others! Sharing articles that promote false information can be dangerous - we have a few suggestions for things you can consider before you hit that "like" or "share" button.
1. What's the source of the information?
Do you recognize the website or institution it comes from, or does it just seem like something that's probably reliable? A lot of information comes from sources that sound pretty legit until you look into them, but once you look up the source you can see that it's not a real hospital, university, or newspaper. That's a red flag! Quality news sources are transparent about their ownership and funding.
2. Who wrote it?
Reputable journalism usually includes a byline that lets you know who researched and wrote an article; exceptions include short factual information like calendars of events and wire stories that may have a byline like "Associated Press". Bylines demonstrate transparency and accountability If a substantial article doesn't have an author or the author doesn't seem to have any other credits, it may be misinformation.
3. Is this a joke?
Don't get taken in by satirical or humorous articles!
4. Are there are a lot of spelling or grammar errors in the article?
Of course even major, well respected news sources can make a mistake, but a lot of noticeable errors might suggest that a piece was written quickly or was edited poorly (or not at all.) A lack of attention to these details might indicate that other details are also wrong.
5. Is it emotionally charged?
Does the headline or image make you angry or sad? Sometimes our emotions make an end-run around our reason - be extra careful to fact check things you hear that seem designed to provoke outrage.
6. If you're seeing this information on social media, did anybody in the comments refute it?
If they did, what's their evidence? (Just because nobody's speaking up doesn't mean it's true though - a lot of people will delete comments that disagree with something they post online.)
7. If there are facts and statistics cited, where are they from?
For example, statistics on nutrition are more likely to be trustworthy if they come from research universities than from fast food companies.
8. Is it current?
Things change quickly, so information that was accurate a year ago may not be true anymore. A solid article will be labeled with the date it was written.
9. Did it confirm what you already thought?
Humans are strongly motivated to confirm existing beliefs and reject information that doesn't agree with them. It's important to acknowledge your biases, seek out other perspectives, and use the same rigor examining information you agree with as you use for information that you distrust.
If you're not sure if something's true, how can you fact check it?
Running a quick search can often clarify questions. Read several articles by reputable sources - major newspapers and unbiased media corporations, for example - and see what they say. Is there a general consensus? Are there articles debunking what you're questioning directly? What are their sources? If they offer facts and statistics, who are they from? If they're from a survey, who ran the survey? How many people did they survey, and what were the questions?
If you're not sure, don't share it! When people see a lot of their trusted friends sharing the same information, they often assume it must be true. If you do find out that something somebody shared isn't a good source, comment and kindly explain how you know it's misinformation.
Try not to get defensive if you accidently post something that turns out to be misinformation. There's a lot of deceptive material out there and it's easy to make a mistake - the important thing is to fix it by clearly marking it fake or deleting your post and making sure your friends know that it turned out not to be true, especially if they went on to share it themselves!