How to check a claim before sharing it
Launch library · evergreen read
Before sharing a claim, a few simple checks can meaningfully prevent the spread of inaccurate information: considering the original source, searching to see whether other reputable outlets report the same thing, and checking whether the claim has already been reviewed by a dedicated fact checking organisation with a transparent, published methodology behind its findings.
Emotional reactions are worth noticing as a signal in themselves during this process. Content designed to provoke strong feelings, whether anger, fear or outrage, often spreads faster precisely because of that emotional reaction, which makes a brief, deliberate pause before sharing especially valuable and worthwhile in almost every case.
These checks take only a few minutes but meaningfully reduce the spread of misinformation across an entire network of contacts. Building this habit into everyday online use, rather than treating it as an occasional exercise, is what ultimately makes the biggest difference over time, far more than any single dramatic correction issued after the fact ever could.