Check the source, of course!
We all know that there is a lot of false information on social media. It’s up to us to be proactive and find out what’s true and what isn’t. How do we do that? By checking the source, of course!
While some false information doesn’t cause harm, much of it does. Some of the most harmful false information is used to promote extreme ideas that harm us, other people, and our society. This type of information can evoke strong emotional reactions and lead us to share it without first looking into the facts for ourselves.
Spotting false information can be hard to do. Learn how to spot it and what you can do about it because stopping the spread of false information starts with you!
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What is false information?
All kinds of false information are spread through a variety of mediums, including mainstream media, social media, word of mouth, online forums, texts, and emails. Some of the most damaging false information spreads rapidly via shared posts when people may be unaware of the true source of a link or email.
Types of False Information
Misinformation is false, but not created or shared with the intention of causing harm.
Disinformation is deliberately created to mislead, harm, or manipulate a person, social group, organization, or country.
Malinformation is based on fact, but used out of context to mislead, harm, or manipulate.
False or misleading information can evoke a strong emotional reaction that leads people to share it without first looking into the facts for themselves, polluting healthy conversations about the issues and causing division among us.
Trusted Sources
Rely on official websites & verified social media for information.
Emotional Sharing
Avoid sharing based on gut reactions or emotional responses.
It’s important to understand how people use false information to shape online conversations and manipulate behavior. Once they have built an online presence, they start to post false or misleading content that steers their audience to more extreme positions and spreads to a larger audience.
Causing Division in the United States
Content creators with harmful intentions use controversial issues to polarize Americans and push us into groups that reinforce a particular point of view, further spreading disinformation and preventing healthy conversations.
The rapid spread of false information can have extreme consequences including causing distrust of the media, and the democratic process or even promoting domestic violent extremism.
People with bad intentions can use false information to cause chaos, confusion, and division. Some use false information to interfere with and undermine the functions of our democratic government and the unity of the American people.
What’s the harm?
What’s the harm?
It’s important to understand how people use false information to shape online conversations and manipulate behavior. Once they have built an online presence, they start to post false or misleading content that steers their audience to more extreme positions and spreads to a larger audience.
Causing Division in the United States
Content creators with harmful intentions use controversial issues to polarize Americans and push us into groups that reinforce a particular point of view, further spreading disinformation and preventing healthy conversations.
The rapid spread of false information can have extreme consequences including causing distrust of the media, and the democratic process or even promoting domestic violent extremism.
People with bad intentions can use false information to cause chaos, confusion, and division. Some use false information to interfere with and undermine the functions of our democratic government and the unity of the American people.
What can I do about it?
Spotting false information can be hard to do. Here are some tips to help you recognize false information.
Recognize the Risk
Understand how people use false information to shape the conversation and manipulate behavior. Once they’ve built an online presence, they start to post false or misleading content that steers their audience to more extreme positions and spreads to a bigger audience.
Question the Source
Check who is really behind the information and think about what they gain by making people believe it. False information is often designed to look authentic. Critically evaluate content to discern whether it’s trustworthy.
Investigate the Issue
Search reliable sources to see what they are saying about the issue. A thorough search will help make sure you that you are sharing accurate information. Don’t share content if it isn’t from a credible source or you can’t find another credible source to confirm the content.
Think before you link
Take a moment to let your emotions cool and ask yourself whether your feelings about the content are based on fact. False information is designed to evoke a strong emotional reaction that bypasses your critical thinking. You can interrupt the cycle of false information by taking time to research the content & reflect on whether sharing it would benefit the conversation.
Talk with your circle
Talk with your social circle about the risks of false information & how to respond when you see it. It’s probably not worth engaging with every piece of false information but speaking up can help stop the spread. Do your research & share what you know with friends and family.
Resources + Tools
You can do your part to stop the spread of false information by learning more about how false information is spread.
Resources
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Resource Library – CISA provides a resource library to help understand the threat of false information and tools to mitigate risks.
Tools to Verify Your News
Fact Checking Sites
- FactCheck.org – Annenberg Public Policy Center’s nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.
- SciCheck – Focuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy.
- All Sides – Provides multiple angles on the same story.
Image Checking Sites
- Google Reverse Image Search – Upload or use a URL image to check the content history or to see similar images on the web.
- TinEye Reverse Image Search – Search by image and find where that image appears online.
- FotoForensics – Identify parts of an image that may have been modified or “photoshopped”.
Web History Checking Site
- Wayback Machine – Web archive that captures websites over time and can be used to verify content history and edits.
Source: https://guides.iona.edu/researchessentials/disinformation
About Check the Source, of Course!
Check the Source, of Course! is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and funded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Grant Program.
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