It is harder than ever to determine what online content (especially social media) is factual and accurate and what is AI or just plain wrong. Here are ways you can vet and verify information before acting on it or sharing it.
Tips for Checking News Organizations
There are lots of ways to determine whether you trust a news organization. Here are a few factors to consider.
Verify the Source
Do an online search for the organization. Do other legitimate sources describe it as reliable?Check Standards
Does the organization have publicly available standards (e.g standards for fairness and accuracy of reporting)?
Follow the Money
Who owns the organization? How do they make money?
Assess the news
Where does the organization get its news? Does it have actual writers? Are its quotes attributed to real people? Does it cite other legitimate sources?
Contact and Mission
Is there a way to contact someone? Is there a publicly available mission statement?
How to Vet a News Story and Is it Legit have more suggestions for vetting a news source.
Tips for Checking Social Media Posts
Verify the Source
Is the post from a trusted individual, news organization, or group you belong to? If you’re not sure, do some online research to make sure it’s legit.Cross-Reference Information
Is this information available from multiple reliable sources?Scrutinize potential clickbait
Does the material seem to rely on sensationalized headlines without much content — promising more content when you click a link? Some sources do, of course, include links. Check the url before clicking to see if it appears to be legitimate.
For Events
Is the event sponsored by a known organization? Are there multiple sources of information for the event? Remember that right now, privacy is crucial. If an event is posted by a private group, don’t share it unless you’re sure that’s the poster’s intention.
Johns Hopkins accuracy checklist and Newstex verify social media have more suggestions for vetting social media posts.