Toolkit.
Think. Check. Share
- Always ask yourself: “Is this information correct?”
- Check the source: Is it trustworthy?
- 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?
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.
If you don’t know the source, check out the about page or ask yourself why they’re sharing the story.
If it doesn’t look right, be careful.
If you don’t know the source, check out the about page or ask yourself why they’re sharing the story.
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 Guides
Full Fact Guides
Full Fact Guides
Find fact checkers near you
International organisations verified by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN):
Argentina
Africa
Ireland
Italy
You can also learn more about our work with Co-Inform to foster critical thinking for a better-informed society.