Teaching people how to be better consumers of information is a fundamental task at the heart of the library profession. Have questions about something you heard or read? Contact us.
Spotting misinformation & disinformation
In today’s media landscape, it can be challenging to sift through the constant stream of information and assess the accuracy of news articles and social media posts. The fast pace, sensational headlines, and frequent layout changes of social media can make it challenging to assess what you are reading.
Misinformation is inaccurate or false information shared without the intention of deception. Disinformation is false information shared with the intentional aim of being misleading.
Try these techniques to evaluate sources and spot misinformation.
The basics: Follow these 9 simple steps
Sorting fact from fiction is an important skill to hone. These 9 steps will help you improve your media literacy:
- Consider the source: Click away from the story to investigate the site, its mission, and its contact info.
- Read beyond: Headlines can be outrageous in an effort to get clicks. What’s the whole story?
- Check the author: Do a quick search on the author. Are they credible? Are they real?
- Review supporting sources: Click on those links. Determine if info given actually supports the story.
- Verify any images: Check that an image isn’t AI-generated or removed from its original context and paired with information to get attention and more clicks.
- Check the date: Reposting old news stories doesn’t mean they’re relevant to current events.
- Consider: Is it a joke? If it is too outlandish, it might be satire. Research the site and author to be sure.
- Check your biases: Consider if your own beliefs could affect your judgement.
- Ask the experts: Contact us or visit one of the fact-checking sites below.
Learn more about how to follow these steps and spot misinformation and disinformation.
Source: This infographic from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
CRAAP Test: For academic research & writing
Librarians at the California State University, Chico developed a set of criteria for evaluating sources of information known as the “CRAAP Test.” Considering these five criteria as you evaluate an article, webpage, or video can help you determine if a source is credible:
- Currency: The timeliness of the information
- Relevancy: The importance of the information for your needs
- Authority: The source of the information.
- Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content
- Purpose: The reason the information exists
Find examples of how to apply the CRAAP test to a source.
SIFT Method: For scrolling through news sources & articles on social media
Mike Caulfield, director of blended and networked learning at Washington State University Vancouver, developed this approach to evaluate sources of information quickly. SIFT is an acronym for:
- Stop
- Investigate the source
- Find better coverage
- Trace claims, quotes, and media to the original context
Learn how to use and practice the SIFT method.
Know your news
Navigating news outlets and social media in search of accurate reporting can be overwhelming, but an informed citizen is a more empowered one. News literacy enables you to identify misinformation, disinformation, and media bias. Additionally, obtaining news from a variety of sources is an effective way to find reliable and balanced information.
Below find resources to help improve your skills as a news consumer:
- AllSides: Rates media bias based on left, center, and right-leaning reporting from a variety of news outlets; compiles balanced reporting on current news stories from across the political spectrum.
- Breaking News Consumer Handbook: A handy one-page reference guide for evaluating news with a quick 11-step overview of how to analyze breaking stories (created by WNYC, New York’s public radio affiliate and home of the On the Media show, another good source for news literacy).
- GetNewsSmart: For a deeper dive into news literacy, a short course consisting of three units that helps build skills and techniques for better evaluating the media (accessible for free, developed by Dr. Michael Spikes of Northwestern University).
- News Literacy Project: Offers an overview of navigating news reporting, a valuable resource for advocates and educators working with K-12 students on news literacy–especially surrounding AI.
Review the accuracy of statements
Don’t take information at face value, no matter how prominent the source—including statements made by journalists, politicians, and other public figures. Apply fact-checking to news items and information with the following resources.
- Politicifact: Grades statements on its “Truth-o-Meter” scale, with ratings ranging from True, Mostly True, Half True, Mostly False, False, to Pants on Fire.
- Factcheck.org: Reviews the accuracy of statements by U.S. politicians, with a mission to serve as a “nonpartisan, nonprofit ‘consumer advocate’ for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics” (more limited in scope than Politifact, but could be used in tandem with other fact-checking resources.)
- Snopes: Reviews a wide variety of information circulating on the internet and social media (one of the internet’s most long-standing fact-checking resources with a wider scope than Politifact and Factcheck.org, with topics including politics, entertainment, and viral social media posts).