3 Ways To Fact-Check the Media

When news breaks in today’s media, it moves fast. It comes flooding into our phones and inboxes, often so quickly it’s hard to sift through the mishmash of real, misleading, or outright fake information. With the increased use of artificial intelligence, or AI, the stream of information is muddier than ever. Posts appear faster than fact-checkers can review them. And increasingly, social media and other outlets are no longer using fact-checkers. Instead, they are relying on “crowdsourcing” — or you, the consumer, to figure it out for yourself. 

With a downpour of daily news, you might feel like you don’t know what to believe. But with the right mindset, skills, and tools, you can stop yourself from falling for mis- or disinformation and slow the spread. Here are three ways to help get you started. 

1) Research the source and look for flags.

When you see or hear a story, one of the first things you should ask yourself is, “Who is sharing the information?” Follow that up by asking, “Who might benefit from spreading this information?” If the answer leads to more questions, be suspicious until you do more research. Even if you get the information from a friend or family member, question it until you determine the source. You might even ask them, “Where did you see that?” Look for sources that include confirmed experts on specific topics or professional outlets or organizations that are respected for their reporting. Just because an influencer has millions of followers or a “checkmark” by their name does not make them a trusted source. 

As you research your sources, some red flags include: bad URLs, recently created websites, multiple misspellings or grammar mistakes, altered or AI-created photos, screenshots, the repetition of messages with nothing to support them (like hyperlinks to other credible websites), or headlines that are too good to be true.

2) Use critical thinking and check your emotions.

When you first encounter a story that gives you strong emotions – maybe it seems too sensationalized, makes you feel outraged, or plays on your fears – you might feel that something is off. One of the reasons misinformation is so harmful and spreads quickly is because it often causes strong emotions, like outrage or disgust. Go with your gut feeling and let your brain get in on the action by thinking critically. 

Critical thinking is about being aware of information you encounter regularly and evaluating it to see if it is real, makes sense, or is misleading or fake. Fake news can grab us because people may set aside their suspicions and be more willing to believe news that reports what they already are likely to believe. Ask yourself what you already know or think about a story or topic. Think about why you might believe or want to disprove the news. Be familiar with the tools that people use to spread information. It’s good to be skeptical. But also be willing to change your mind based on new, proven information. 

3) Look for balance in different viewpoints.

Too many of us are trapped in an information bubble — constantly surrounded by information that aligns with our views or values. That’s because algorithms are programmed to send you what you want to see. That means you may get an uneven amount of information from one point of view that may be lacking in context or the whole story. It’s essential to look for opposing or multiple viewpoints about the same story and open yourself to the concept that they could also present credible information and more context. 

Report Misinformation or Disinformation

If you discover information on social media that seems fake, offensive, or possibly dangerous, report it! Social media sites typically have sections that allow you to report content that you find concerning.

Also, don’t forget that you do not have to hit that share button! Too many social media users share information before they’ve even finished reading or watching a story. Slow down! Read the article (not just the headline), watch the entire video (not just a clip chosen to engage you but that doesn’t tell the whole story or distorts what was really said). Ask yourself what it is that makes you want to share it in the first place. 

Learn more about all you can do to navigate and combat mis-and disinformation and fake news here.