{"id":68508,"date":"2022-03-01T09:55:04","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T17:55:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/?p=68508"},"modified":"2022-03-01T10:30:44","modified_gmt":"2022-03-01T18:30:44","slug":"spotting-misinformation-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/en\/internet-culture\/spotting-misinformation-online\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make sure you aren\u2019t spreading misinformation online"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Facts can be empowering during uncertain times, and perhaps there\u2019s no fact-finding tool more accessible than the internet. But as past years have taught us, the internet can also mislead<\/a> \u2014 to dangerous lengths<\/a>. We know when world events are scary, the internet gets loud and overwhelming. So here are three best practices to spot misinformation online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always check the source, then check your source\u2019s sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Understanding events happening halfway around the world is tricky. Heck, understanding events happening in our own communities can be hard. After all, if we can\u2019t see events unfold before our own eyes, then how can we really know what\u2019s real or not? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why we need to pick trustworthy news organizations that are able to send people on the ground, speak to vetted experts and produce stories that undergo a thorough fact-checking process. Another thing to consider, as journalist and fact-checking expert Kaitlyn Jakola told Mozilla<\/a>: the money. Who\u2019s funding the organization? Why do they publish certain stories?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve decided that an organization is trustworthy, verify the web address to make sure that it\u2019s not impersonating a real news website<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now onto the stories themselves: Consider the sources. \u201cSee where else these experts have been quoted before,\u201d Jakola said. \u201cThough keep in mind this can go both ways. There are some people who make their whole career out of making media appearances and not doing any of the work. On the other hand, you have folks like Dr. Anthony Fauci who does the work and has been trusted by journalists for decades.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verify videos and images <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From out-of-context media to Photoshopped images to deepfakes<\/a>, unreliable photos and videos proliferate across social media. BBC journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh<\/a>, who reports on disinformation, has this important advice<\/a>: Look closer. In videos, zoom into billboards, street signs, license plates and other clues that could hint at whether a certain event really took place at the time and location as stated by the social media account that shared the footage. If anything looks off, take it as a sign to investigate further into the source of the video. Did the person take the video themselves? If not, where did this person get the footage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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