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Toolkit

Think. Check. Share.

  1. Always ask yourself: “Is this information correct?”
  2. Check the source: Is it trustworthy?
  3. Share accurate information

Here are some simple, practical tools anyone can use to identify misinformation

Some questions to help stamp out false news

Where’s it from?

A trusted source is your safest option.

If you don’t know the source, check out the about page or ask yourself why they’re sharing the story.

If there’s no source, search for one.

You can search for images to find out where they’ve been seen before or search for the story to see where it started.

If it doesn’t look right, be careful.

False news can be hidden on websites made to look like the real thing. Look for the little clues: phony URLs, bad spelling, or awkward layouts.

What’s missing?

Get the whole story, not just a headline.

One click can help you spot false news. Read the whole story and watch out for images, numbers, and quotes that don’t have sources or that might have been taken out of context.

Images can be faked.

False news stories often contain images or videos that have been changed. Even real images can be made to look like things they’re not with a false date or caption.

Check what other people say.

Check out the sources they give. See what trusted news sites or factcheckers are saying — breaking news is quickly picked up by different news sources. In an emergency, look for the official emergency services.

How do you feel?

People who make false news try to manipulate your feelings.

They know that making you angry or worried means they’re more likely to get clicks. If it’s winding you up, stop and think how you could check it before you share.

If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Hope can be used to manipulate us too. Most of the time, the miracle cure doesn’t exist.

Don’t be the one who doesn’t spot the joke.

Sometimes jokes and satire online aren’t obvious. Funny or outrageous details, the way it’s written, or the site it’s on might give it away.

You can also read our beginner’s guide

How to teach yourself fact checking

You can read our Beginner’s Guide to Fact Checking and learn some fact-checking terms at Co-Inform, an EU-funded project to create tools to foster critical thinking and digital literacy for a better-informed society.

Also, these guides will help you spot misinformation and find the most reputable information online:

FactCheckNI

Full Fact

Africa Check

Find fact checkers near you

International organisations verified by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN):

You can also learn more about our work with Co-Inform to foster critical thinking for a better-informed society.