Stop! Before you react strongly or share the information, consider YOU!

• Does this matter to YOU?

• What do YOU know about this topic?

• What do YOU know about this source?

• Are YOU sure? Clickbait can pollute your feed!

• Does it seem AI generated to YOU?

Tools:

• Your background knowledge 

Investigate the SOURCE before you engage with the information.

• What is the SOURCE? (expert, news, influencer, organization, etc.)

• What is the purpose or agenda of this SOURCE? (inform, entertain, persuade, etc. - watch for red flags - is the story sensational or designed to trigger strong emotions?)

• What is the SOURCE'S potential bias? 

• Does the SOURCE have a history of posting misinformation or AI generated content?

Tools:

• Your Brain - Critical thinking skills are important!

• Google

• Hover over the user profile or look at the URL - does it make sense? 

• Wikipedia

• Media Bias Charts - AllSides and Ad Fontes

Find other coverage or consensus on this CLAIM.

• What do other sources have to say about this CLAIM? If there are no other credible sources discussing this claim, it may be untrue.

• Are there multiple trusted sources that agree with the CLAIM or trust the source?

Tools:

• Google

• Google Lens (for images)

• Wikipedia

• Allsides

• Other trusted sources (LRC databases and recommended sources)

• Fact Checking Sites

  • FactCheck.org

  • Politifact

  • AP

  • Reuters

  • Snopes

  • Factchequeado - Spanish

Trace claims, quotes, and media to their original source to get the complete picture.

• Where did the original information come from? If you can't find the original source of the information, it may be fabricated or AI generated!

• Was the original information correctly represented?

• Was the information out of context?

• Was the information cherry-picked to support an agenda?

Tools:

• Citations, hyperlinks, and names of quoted sources found in the information

• Google

• Google Lens (for images)

• Google Scholar

• Databases