GBH is committed to the truth, facts and combating misinformation, disinformation and “fake news." Here are some tips to help you think critically, analyze sources and access information online.
1. Spotting fake news isn’t hard when you've got a library card
The internet is a great place to begin your research, but libraries — online and IRL — are your best resource for curated, accurate information.
From
WGBH News Forum: How To Spot Fake News
![Combating disinformation tip - spotting fake news](https://cdn.grove.wgbh.org/dims4/default/f4e8111/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1200x628+0+0/resize/1036x542!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-gbh.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F32%2F95%2F4a16688712801a8c0b283749a72e%2Fdigi-disinformation-library-gbh-1200x628.jpg)
2. RTs do not = accurate information
A thousand likes or shares does not an accurate piece of information make.
From
WGBH News Forum: How To Spot Fake News
![Combating disinformation tip - retweets do not equal accurate information](https://cdn.grove.wgbh.org/dims4/default/f59a5fb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1200x628+0+0/resize/1036x542!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-gbh.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F56%2Fd7%2F1a2edd6555d205381b7f14959527%2Fdigi-disinformation-rts-gbh-1200x628.jpg)
3. Don’t forget to S.I.F.T through your timeline
- S: Stop
- I: Investigate source
- F: Find better coverage
- T: Trace back to the original context
From
WGBH News Forum: How To Spot Fake News
Washington State Professor Mike Caulfield
![Combating disinformation tip - sift through your timeline](https://cdn.grove.wgbh.org/dims4/default/d3ec092/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1200x628+0+0/resize/1036x542!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-gbh.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F6c%2F2a%2F81f663c5f1b601359b60409d0884%2Fdigi-disinformation-sift-gbh-1200x628.jpg)
4. Check Yourself
Just because you see a blue verification checkmark does not mean that the information being shared is accurate.
From
WGBH News Forum: How To Spot Fake News
![Combating disinformation tip - check yourself](https://cdn.grove.wgbh.org/dims4/default/e3aeddf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1200x628+0+0/resize/1036x542!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-gbh.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F06%2Fc6%2F8998a7c34f41377ac7d773b9f996%2Fdigi-disinformation-check-gbh-1200x628.jpg)
5. BOTs = Beware Of Them
Accounts that aim to sow misinformation and polarization often use bots and automation.
From
Keep It Social: Are Twitter Bots Spreading Misinformation?
with Karen Hao, MIT Technology Review Senior Reporter
![Combating disinformation tip - beware of bots](https://cdn.grove.wgbh.org/dims4/default/d596075/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1200x628+0+0/resize/1036x542!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-gbh.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F84%2Fe5%2Fd6ed2a1b53e3e27361091ac6fc51%2Fdigi-disinformation-bot-gbh-1200x628-1-1.jpg)
6. .com.com or .lo in the URL? U-R-Looking at an untrustworthy source.
If you don’t trust the curator, don’t trust the information.
From
PBS LearningMedia’s
Common Sense Education: Identifying “Fake” News
![Combating disinformation tip - inspect the URL](https://cdn.grove.wgbh.org/dims4/default/a70f838/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1200x628+0+0/resize/1036x542!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-gbh.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fa0%2F26%2Fadd28926ed92fc433cd304bfe790%2Fdigi-disinformation-url-gbh-1200x628.jpg)
7. GOOD: Dissect the original source of the information
BETTER: Fact-check using other sites
BEST: Do a reverse image search
From
PBS LearningMedia’s
Common Sense Education: Identifying “Fake” News
![Combating disinformation tip - get to the source](https://cdn.grove.wgbh.org/dims4/default/d77538c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1200x628+0+0/resize/1036x542!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-gbh.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F31%2Fc2%2F13325e8092ca203fed76490d99e1%2Fdigi-disinformation-goodbetterbest-gbh-1200x628.jpg)
8. Moral-emotional language, like “share if you’re outraged” = red flag
Accurate information isn’t emotion-based. It’s about fact vs. fiction.
From
PBS NewsHour: Fact vs. Fiction in the Media
![Combating disinformation tip - moral-emotional language](https://cdn.grove.wgbh.org/dims4/default/e012ca8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1200x628+0+0/resize/1036x542!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-gbh.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F83%2Fab%2Fcac37c253d5621504e0d62b3d3b8%2Fdigi-disinformation-redflag-gbh-1200x628.jpg)
For more media literacy resources to help you think critically, analyze sources and access information as informed citizens, check out our Combating Disinformation portal.