How to avoid spreading misinformation

How to avoid spreading misinformation

• Wait before reposting. You won’t need to apologize for forwarding untrue information if you never share it to begin with.

• Don’t share something just because it comes from a friend. Double check the source to make sure the reporting is from a respectable publication and that they’re not just summarizing the reaction on social media. Better yet, wait until a second publication independently confirms the reports.

• Read the actual story first. Follow links to make sure the links actually back up the news stories. Biased news sources are infamous for making sensational claims in their headlines that the underlying material doesn’t support.

• Be cautious about sharing bogus stories just to point how stupid or wrong they are. That’s an easy way to inadvertently spread a falsehood.

• Mute #Resistance Twitter stars like Seth Abramson and Eric Garland and ignore far-right websites like Gateway Pundit, Breitbart and (increasingly) the Federalist. Just because they tell you what you want to hear doesn’t mean they’re giving you a straight story.