Vetting the Source
Look up the source to make sure it’s a legitimate news organization. Trust reliable, credible news sources that have a history and a reputation of trustworthy reporting. These include The New York Times, Washington Post, BBC, and other large organizations. If you’re unsure of a news source, or you haven’t heard of them before, look them up online to find out if they’re credible. Visit the Media Bias/Fact Check website to look up a source at: https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/. If the website of the news source looks dubious or unprofessional, it may be a sign of misinformation.
Check to see if the information is backed by trusted sources. Examine the information and look for references to data or claims substantiated by legitimate sources like the WHO, CDC, or UN Foundation. If the information is backed by trusted sources, then it’s reliable. Look for external links that direct you to the page with information backing up or verifying a claim. If there isn’t a reference to a credible medical source, the information may be false. For instance, if an article claims that COVID-19 cannot survive in sunlight and there isn’t a link to a WHO or CDC article confirming the information, be skeptical of it. In this case, sunlight does not protect you from COVID-19.
Research the author to see if they’re an expert. Click on the author’s name or type it into your search bar to find out more about them. Look to see if they’re a coronavirus or pandemic expert, a doctor, or a scientist. If the author is a journalist, find out if they’re a health reporter with experience in reporting on scientific topics and COVID-19. If you can’t find anything about the author, the information may be false. Credible reporters will have a history of reporting on scientific or medical topics.
Look for the same information in multiple news sources. Search a claim or “fact” that you come across online in a search engine to see if other credible sources are also reporting similar information. If you only see one source making a claim, it’s a sign that it could be false. Type in the claim in a search engine like Google or Bing to see if other sources are reporting something similar.
Confirm a claim on the WHO Mythbuster or Q&A page. The World Health Organization created pages specifically designed to address claims about COVID-19 that you can use to verify information. Visit the pages and look up the claim you want to confirm to see if they address it. If the claim or rumor is on there, they’ll confirm or deny it for you, and provide credible resources and explanations. Visit the WHO Mythbuster page at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters. Go to the WHO Q&A on COVID-19 at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses.
Keep an eye out for fake social media accounts and web addresses. Many credible news organizations have social media accounts that they use to post and share articles and information about coronavirus. But, it is possible to create fake accounts that look genuine and may even have the same name and profile picture. If you come across information that seems dubious posted from a real-looking news organization’s profile, look up the information on their actual website to confirm it. For example, if you see an article posted by “BBC News” on Facebook that makes a questionable claim about coronavirus, search the information on the actual BBC website.
Looking for Signs of Misinformation
Find the date of the information to see if it’s current. Because information and data about the pandemic change regularly, it’s super important to check the date of an article to see when it was published. Look for the date near the headline and author’s name. If it’s older than 2-3 weeks, the information may no longer be accurate. For example, your area may have recently seen a reduction in new cases, but an older article may be reporting higher numbers because it’s from a few months ago.
Look for grammatical or spelling errors. Read the article and keep an eye out for awkward sentences, improper punctuation, spelling mistakes, and bad grammar. Grammar and spelling errors are tell-tale signs that an article wasn’t produced by a professional news organization and may contain misinformation. Professional reporters have their articles fact-checked and edited by editors. If the article looks poorly written, it likely wasn’t produced from a credible organization. Check out the website as well. If the page looks outdated, unprofessional, or sloppy, it may not be a credible source.
Take a moment to be skeptical of the information. Whenever you find out new information about coronavirus, pause for a moment to think about it. If a claim seems outlandish or too-good-to-be-true, it just may be. Avoid accepting information at face value and be skeptical of it until you can confirm it with other sources. Misinformation is often intended to get an emotional reaction from people. Take a deep breath and consider the facts before you accept something as true. The truth is, there aren’t many “novel” facts or information with this novel coronavirus. If information is valid, it’s being reported by multiple news agencies.
Use fact-checking websites to confirm a dubious claim. If you see a meme, social media post, or article claiming something that seems questionable to you, look it up! Type a few words from the claim into your search bar and look at the results. Check to see if a fact-checking site has examined and debunked the claims. Look for sites such as Snopes, Politifact, or FactCheck.org to see if they’ve reported on the information. Some claims may be partially true, and it’s a good idea to find out which parts are true and which are false, so you have a more complete understanding.
Check to see if the author urges you to share their information. Credible journalists and organizations won’t urge you to share their sensational information. If the author or source begs or asks you to share their article or post, it could be misinformation designed to stir up shares and advertising revenue. For example, if you see a post that includes something like, “Share this!” it could be a sign that the information isn’t accurate.
Stopping the Spread of Misinformation
Get your information from reliable sources like the WHO. When it comes to information about COVID-19, go straight to the source and seek out articles and data from sources like the WHO, CDC, and UN Foundation. Avoid relying on social media or second-hand information from other people, which may not be accurate and could be designed to trigger an emotional response. Look for updates from your local government and news agencies for information about your specific area. Always verify any wild claims you come across with credible sources.
Read the full article before you believe or share the information. Avoid reading just the headline of an article before you accept the claim or share the information with others. Headlines can sometimes be misleading or paint an incomplete picture. Even if an article comes from a reputable source, read the whole thing to make sure the claims are backed up by reliable organizations like the WHO, CDC, and UN Foundation. For instance, a headline could read “Masks Make Breathing Difficult.” But if you read the article, it may be that breathing difficulties are only associated with people who have COPD or another respiratory disease.
Avoid sharing information if you’re unsure if it’s true. If you come across a meme, post, or article with claims about COVID-19, make sure they’re accurate and verified by credible news sources. If they aren’t, or if you can’t confirm the information, don’t spread it around by sharing it on social media or telling people about it. Misinformation can lead people to believe that certain precautions or advice are unnecessary, which could potentially cause them to be exposed to COVID-19.
Call out misinformation whenever you see it. Look into a claim that seems dubious to you that’s being shared by someone you know. If it’s verifiably false, let them know. Share a link to the fact-checking site debunking the claim or an article disproving the claim. Fight against misinformation whenever you can to help protect people against it. You can do your part to help stop the spread by calling out false claims and misinformation whenever you come across them. On many social media sites, such as Facebook, you can report a post or article as misinformation, so moderators can review it and remove it if it contains false or erroneous claims.
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