In an age of weaponized disinformation, everyone needs to be their own fact-checker. Here are the tools and techniques to cut through the noise.
Developed by digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield, the SIFT method is the fastest way to evaluate online information. Before you share, react, or believe—SIFT.
Pause before you engage. Your emotional reaction is exactly what misinformation is designed to exploit.
Who's behind this? What's their agenda? A quick search on the source often reveals everything.
Find better coverage. Look for the same story from established, credible news sources.
Trace claims to their origin. Screenshots and quotes are often taken wildly out of context.
These are the same tools professional fact-checkers use. Bookmark them. Use them. Share them.
The original fact-checking site. Extensive database of debunked rumors, viral claims, and urban legends.
Pulitzer Prize-winning political fact-checking. Their "Truth-O-Meter" rates claims from True to Pants on Fire.
Nonpartisan project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Focuses on political claims and viral misinformation.
The Associated Press's fact-checking vertical. Credible, thorough, and globally focused.
Wire service quality applied to viral claims. Especially strong on international misinformation.
Drag any image to find its origin. Essential for catching photos used out of context.
Reverse image search with sorting by date—useful for finding when an image first appeared online.
See how websites looked in the past. Catch deleted content and document changes over time.
Rates news sources on bias and factual accuracy. Useful for evaluating unfamiliar outlets.
"A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes."
Misinformation often has telltale signs. Train yourself to spot these red flags before you believe—or share.
Content designed to make you furious or terrified bypasses critical thinking. That's the point. If something makes you want to share immediately, that's when you most need to pause.
"Reports say..." "Experts claim..." "A study found..." Without links to the actual report, expert, or study, these are red flags. Real journalism provides sources.
Look-alike domains (ABCnews.com.co), sites with no about page, or outlets you've never heard of that just happen to have this "exclusive" story.
If a story confirms everything you already believe and makes the other side look cartoonishly evil, be extra skeptical. You're the target audience for that manipulation.
Recycled photos, videos from years ago, or out-of-context quotes presented as breaking news. Always check dates.
If a major story isn't being covered by multiple credible outlets, ask why. Real news gets picked up. Misinformation stays siloed.
Did I read past the headline?
Do I know who created this and what their agenda might be?
Is this from a credible, established news source?
Can I find the same story reported elsewhere?
Is this current, or is it old content being recirculated?
If there's a photo or video, have I verified it's real and in context?
Am I sharing this because it's true, or because it feels good?
If yes, wait at least 10 minutes before engaging. Emotional manipulation is misinformation's primary tactic.
If you don't recognize the outlet, search "[outlet name] + bias" or "[outlet name] + credibility."
Search the core claim. If credible outlets are reporting it, proceed. If it's only on fringe sites, stop.
Screenshots, clips, and quotes are often stripped of context. Find the original if possible.
Add context, credit the original source, and be open to correction if you got it wrong.
Lateral Reading: Instead of diving deep into a site, open new tabs and see what others say about that source. This is how professional fact-checkers work—they leave the site quickly to verify it.
Check the Byline: Google the author. Do they exist? Do they have a history of credible work? AI-generated authors and stock photos are increasingly common on fake news sites.
Examine the URL: Is it a look-alike domain? (.co, .com.co, slight misspellings). Real outlets: nytimes.com. Fakes: nytimes.com.co, nyt1mes.com.
Check the Date: Old stories resurface constantly. A "breaking" story from 2018 is misinformation in 2024.
Use Fact-Check Aggregators: Google "[claim] + fact check" to see if professional fact-checkers have already addressed it.
Verify Images: Right-click → "Search image with Google" or use TinEye to find an image's origin and previous uses.
Every piece of misinformation you stop helps protect democracy. Share this toolkit with everyone you know.
More Ways to Act →