How to double-check those Wow! Big If True! stories

Morgana · May 11, 2024

I know I've posted on this before, but it was in a thread dedicated to a different topic and I thought it might be a good idea to give it its own thread ... since there seem to be quite a few folks here who care about this kind of thing.

Here's an article I just came across, on how to make sure you don't get taken in by Internet rumors, that I like a lot. It's readable, it's not too long, and it contains links to good resources. They call it the SIFT strategy:
Stop (and think before you re-post).
Investigate the source.
Find other/better sources.
Trace the story back to its original source.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/...-four-step-method-for-spotting-misinformation

Here are some other good resources (posted before):
More how-to-not-get-fooled advice
“How to spot fake news” (International Federation of Library Associations)
https://blogs.ifla.org/lpa/files/2017/01/How-to-Spot-Fake-News.pdf
“How can I identify misinformation?” (Arizona State University) (scroll down to the Frequently Asked Questions section)
https://globalsecurity.asu.edu/expertise/narrative-disinformation-and-strategic-influence/
“Is this source reliable?” (Modern Language Association)
https://style.mla.org/app/uploads/sites/3/2018/09/Checklist-for-Evaluating-Sources.pdf
Some fact-checkers
Snopes --- https://www.snopes.com/
PolitiFact --- https://www.politifact.com/
Associated Press fact-check page --- https://apnews.com/ap-fact-check
Duke (University) Reporters Lab (more of a deep dive with lots of fact-checking sites)
https://reporterslab.org/fact-checking/
But how do you know if your fact-checker is any good?
You could look them up on the International Fact-Checking Network signatories list:
https://ifcncodeofprinciples.poynter.org/signatories
It's hosted by the Poynter Institute, a well-respected journalism nonprofit that's been around since 1975.

rruff · May 11, 2024

Morgana said:
Here's an article I just came across, on how to make sure you don't get taken in by Internet rumors, that I like a lot.

If only people didn't enjoy getting taken in by internet rumors so much...

Morgana · May 11, 2024

I know right? I got into a cringeworthy knock-down-drag-out yesterday with someone who insisted that people on her side of the aisle "never lie." Well (a) yes they do, everybody does, and (b) it's not just about giant intentional evil lies, there's a lot of smaller and/or well-intentioned BS floating around that can do real harm.

rruff · May 11, 2024

Morgana said:
I know right?

My head is still spinning regarding my neighbor's belief in flat earth. Heck 19% of millennials believe it! It's like a cult... no amount of evidence is sufficient to dissuade belief. It's particularly frustrating because I'm a frickin' aerospace engineer who built satellites and launched them into space! She knows I'm not lying to her, but she believes I'm "misinformed". There are numerous ways to come at this that are all as much proof as anything could be... but it doesn't matter. Seriously, if someone can get stuck on flat earth, they can get trapped by any sort of batshit crazy BS you can imagine.

One refutation that I just thought of recently.... "Do you know someone who lives in another part of the world around the (supposed) equator? If not, how about 2+ time zones over?" If the sun is in a different part of the sky at the same time, shouldn't that be enough to prove the earth isn't flat? If it's only 2 times zones, then sunrise and sunset would be the best times... What do you think? I haven't talked to her in a awhile, but I'm curious how she'll respond. We are in NM and she knows people in FL at least. Have them call when it gets dark, and if the sun is still up here, then...