The bad news is that with some (un)common sense, it’s possible to get a good sense of what’s likely to be true or false on the internet. ..

Consider The Source

Sources of information that are subject to regulation (such as scientific or journalistic boards) are more likely to report the facts accurately than sources with a poor or unknown track record. So initially, you should give more weight to sources of information that are subject to regulation. ..

Be very wary of websites with anonymous owners and writers. Such sites can be popular among a certain type of conspiracy-loving internet user, who will share these links with gusto. If your first contact with a story or information is from such a site, your next step to confirming if something is true or false is to corroborate the information. ..

Next, Consider Multiple Sources

If you believe the first source is trustworthy and open, you should look for corroboration from several independent sources.

They will provide other angles on the story, additional information and corroborate the sources and reporting of your first source. If multiple independent sources are saying the same thing, the probability of what they say being the truth goes up.

Look For AP-style Coverage

  1. Be accurate
  2. Be fair
  3. Be honest
  4. Be concise
  5. Use proper grammar and punctuation
  6. Use common sense

Who: The shooting took place at a country music festival in Las Vegas. What: At least 58 people were killed and more than 500 were injured when a gunman opened fire on the crowd from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. When: Sunday, October 1, 2017 at 10:08 p.m. PDT
Where: In Las Vegas, Nevada. ..

When a story is written from a particular political or ideological view, it begins to be an editorial piece.

The Associated Press has rules for how its reporters should report. Here are some of them:

  • stories should minimize bias and leave the interpretation of key facts up to you.
  • stories should be written in a clear, concise, and accurate way.
  • stories should be updated as often as possible.

Videos And Photos Are Not The Truth

This technology has the potential to cause great harm to our democracy and our society as a whole. We need to be careful about how we use it, and work to create a more accurate and honest world where everyone can share their ideas and experiences without fear of being manipulated.

This means that it’s worth waiting for forensic experts to verify that these media have not been tampered with. Even if a photo or video has not been tampered with, that does not mean it reflects the truth or at least the whole truth.

A photo is just a snapshot in time. It tells you nothing about what happened before or after the photo was taken. You can’t see what’s going on outside the frame and you have no context for the content of the image. All of these things fundamentally change what the image means!

When it comes to videos, use editing techniques to make them more interesting and informative. For example, you can cut out parts of the video that don’t match the narrative you want to create. You can also add in new footage or scenes that will help flesh out the story.

Review Sources And References

Every story is based on a chain of other reporting until it leads back to the primary source. That is, unless the writer of the story is reporting directly from the primary source! Whenever someone makes a claim or relays events, it’s critically important that you look up the sources they are quoting. Are those sources reliable? Where did they get their information from?

The original statement in question relies on a source that is not actually quoted in the article. By following the chain of references, you can discover where things have been twisted or fabricated.

Apply Basic Critical Thinking

-Check the source of the information -Check for accuracy -Check for credibility -Check for believability

Is the information reasonable? Is there reasonable doubt that the facts could be wrong? How feasible is the story as presented?

The point is to establish how much doubt is reasonable about what you’re actually seeing.

Don’t Use Social Media As Your Source Of News

Instead, you’re getting a stream of information that is biased and skewed in one direction. This can have a significant impact on your ability to communicate effectively and build relationships with people.

While it’s perfectly fine to catch wind of something important via social media, it’s not a great idea to look for confirmation or raw facts there. You’re much better off stepping outside of social media and doing your fact finding elsewhere instead.

Apply These Tips Selectively

Here are some tips to help you filter the good information from the bad:

  1. Pay attention to the source. If you don’t know who wrote or produced the information, it’s probably not worth your time to read it. Look for credible sources, such as reputable newspapers, magazines, or websites.
  2. Check the facts. Make sure that what you’re reading is accurate and based on solid evidence. Don’t believe anything just because someone tells you it’s true – ask yourself how they know and check their sources.
  3. Be skeptical of claims that are too good to be true. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be especially careful of exaggerated claims about how easy it is to make money or achieve success in a certain field – these things almost always turn out to be scams. ..

We suggest that you only apply deep scrutiny to stories and information that matter to you or that they matter in a more universal sense. ..

Did that celebrity really throw a drink in someone’s face? It probably doesn’t matter. This isn’t an important claim. However, if someone is touting an unproven and untested cure for cancer, that’s very much something to investigate carefully.

When it comes to information, it’s important to decide what is too trivial or irrelevant to you to wrestle with. However, don’t pass on information you aren’t very sure about to other people, as it might be relevant or important to them and can even lead to harm if they aren’t critical about it and end up believing it. ..

There is no such thing as absolute accuracy when it comes to determining the truth of a claim. However, by applying the most basic of filters, you can get a good estimate of whether or not the claim is true. ..