Before you use or share a piece of information,
Stop
When you first begin reading or viewing a news story, a cartoon, or a video, pause for a moment to consider the source.
Don't use or share a piece of information until you are sure it's accurate.
If you aren't sure about the source of the information,
Investigate
Do some quick searches to learn more.
Hovering is another technique to learn more about who is sharing information, especially on social media platforms, such as Twitter or TikTok.
If you know why this information was published, you'll have a better idea about how reliable it is.
Look for coverage of the information in a different source
Find
Accurate and reliable information can be found in multiple sources.
Beware of information that is only part of the overall story. For example a speech can be misrepresented by leaving out some of what was actually said. If you can't find the information reported anywhere else, you probably shouldn't trust it.
Whenever possible, find the original source of the information
Trace
The most accurate information comes from the original source rather than someone's description.
The best information comes from the original source. Read the full speech or document for yourself instead of trusting another person's interpretation or summary.
More information about effective information assessment: Stanford Scholars Observe "Experts" to See How They Evaluate Information Online Want to Be a Better Online Sleuth? Why Can't a Generation that Grew Up Online Spot Misinformation? Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers Menlo Library guide: Evaluating news sites |
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