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We have all seen something online and been unsure if we should believe it or not. We've also probably all shared inaccurate information, often unintentionally and without even knowing it! In order to feel more confident about what information to trust, it's useful to have some fact-checking techniques you can use when you want to verify information you see online.
These techniques are adapted from the work of Mike Caulfield, a leading scholar in civic digital literacies and the Director of Blended and Networked Learning at Washington State Universtiy Vancouver.
Just like text, images and videos can be misleading or even completely false. If you find yourself unsure about an image, try a reverse Google image search to see if you can find the original source of the photo.
No such search currently exists for videos, but there are a few things you can do to consider a video's authenticity, as outlined in this guide from CNN, and summarized here.
When in doubt, it's best to get a second opinion. Simply reach out about the information you're trying to verify, and a librarian can help you!
Want to practice separating fact from fiction, use some of your fact checking skills, have some fun, and maybe learn something along the way? Try playing FakeOut, a game from CIVIX, an organization based in Canada and devoted to helping students improve their digital literacy.