With the US presidential election coming up next month, newsrooms are bracing themselves for a torrent of misinformation in the run up to, throughout, and in the aftermath of, the event.
As The Washington Post reported in 2018, lies spread faster than truth. Social media especially has become a breeding ground for circulating false and inaccurate information.
Associate professor of social psychology at Mississippi State University, H. Colleen Sinclair, provides her top ten tips on IJNet to identify misinformation roaming the web. A basic but crucial way to do this is simply by checking the source of an article before sharing it on social media. Not sure how? She recommends websites like The Media Bias/Fact Check.
"When you share something, social media and search-engine algorithms count your sharing as a vote for the overall site’s credibility. So don’t help misinformation sites take advantage of your reputation as a cautious and careful sharer of reliable information," it reads.
Calling all Telegram users: join our journalism news channel to receive an audio update every Monday morning, and our journalism jobs channel to find out the latest opportunities
Free daily newsletter
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).
Related articles
- News media must change tactics when fighting false information to protect democracy
- Sky News producer and psychotherapist James Scurry: 'Journalists are a decade behind the latest knowledge about mental health'
- University of Central Lancashire pushes for stronger news literacy education in the UK
- #JournalismMatters: Joy of shared truth, sacred bond and democracies’ self-evident values
- 40 essential newsletters every journalist should read
