Fact-Checking Information Online-2
How Do You Fact-Check Information Online?
How do you fact-check information that you find online, or information that is shared with you on social media?
Let's look at a news report related to protests following the death of Georg Floyd, and review strategies for figuring out whether this is a reliable source.
The video below claims protestors destroyed property at a children's hospital and threatened sick families. Is this a reliable source of information? How would you verify that this is true?
Fact-Checking Strategy 1: Has this story been taken out of context?
Context is important. When was this story published, and where? In this case the video edited together different scenes and miscaptioned the incidents. Local police issued a statement that in fact there were minimal arrests and no property was damaged during the protests.
Fact-Checking Strategy 2: Has anyone else fact-checked this story?
Fact-Checking Strategy 3: Are any other news organizations reporting this story?
Fact-Checking Strategy 4: Who are these people?
What is their reputation online? Take five minutes to Google the website, or look at who is posting this information.
Investigate the Source: What is the reputation of the author or publisher of this story?
Please watch the following 3-minute video to learn about an important strategy for fact-checking a source: Leave the Web page itself, open a new tab, and look at what the Web is telling you about the author or publisher of this story.
NewsWise. (29 June 2018). Online verification skills video 2: Investigate the source Links to an external site. [video file].
Now You Try
- Apply at least one fact checking strategy to a website or post you found with background information on your topic.