Checking a source before sharing a story
Launch library · evergreen read
Before sharing a story, a few quick checks can catch most of the errors that circulate widely online: does the original source actually say what the headline claims, is the source itself one with a track record worth trusting, and is there a date attached that confirms the story is current rather than being recirculated out of context.
A surprising amount of misinformation is not fabricated outright but simply old, a genuine story from years earlier resurfacing as though it just happened, or a real quote taken out of its original context and applied to a different situation entirely. A basic date and context check resolves a large share of these cases quickly.
None of this requires special expertise, only a short pause before hitting share: a source, a date, and a quick search to see whether other outlets are reporting the same thing independently. That small habit, repeated consistently, does a great deal to slow the spread of avoidable errors.