Small Things Count

I stumbled on this article at a time when I was gritting my teeth over a “news” story that had been emailed to me by a friend, who got it from her friend, and so on and so on.  My friend is an intelligent person, but sometimes she blindly accepts as factual what she receives from a friend she trusts.   (I used to do that, too.)

This article from FactCheck.Org, How to Spot Fake News, offers a list of things we can do to be sure that what we’re reading or hearing is true.  I’ll list them here, and you can go to the article to read detailed explanations of each.

• Consider the source.
• Read beyond the headline.
• Check the author.
• What’s the support?
• Check the date.
• Is this some kind of joke?
• Check your biases.
• Consult the experts.

I know it seems  like a lot of work.  But it’s worth it if we can nip rumor and misinformation in the bud so that we can know, and act on, the truth.

I stumbled on this article at a time when I was gritting my teeth over a “news” story that had been emailed to me by a friend, who got it from her friend, and so on and so on.  My friend is an intelligent person, but sometimes she blindly accepts as factual what she receives from a friend she trusts.   (I used to do that, too.)

This article from FactCheck.Org, How to Spot Fake News, offers a list of things we can do to be sure that what we’re reading or hearing is true.  I’ll list them here, and you can go to the article to read detailed explanations of each.

• Consider the source.
• Read beyond the headline.
• Check the author.
• What’s the support?
• Check the date.
• Is this some kind of joke?
• Check your biases.
• Consult the experts.

I know it seems  like a lot of work.  But it’s worth it if we can nip rumor and misinformation in the bud so that we can know, and act on, the truth.