0:00:00.000,0:00:01.189 Hi, I'm Hari Sreenivasan. 0:00:01.189,0:00:02.364 Welcome to Take on Fake, 0:00:02.364,0:00:06.109 where we'll debunk some claims [br]you may have seen or even shared online. 0:00:06.110,0:00:07.860 We've spent the past year 0:00:07.860,0:00:10.820 talking to journalists and fact[br]checkers all over the country 0:00:10.820,0:00:13.940 about how they tackle[br]misinformation gone viral. 0:00:14.099,0:00:16.730 They shared with us[br]a bunch of tips and tools 0:00:16.730,0:00:19.550 that not only work for them,[br]but can work for you too. 0:00:20.010,0:00:21.639 Here are 8 steps you can take, 0:00:21.639,0:00:23.609 whether it's on your phone or your laptop 0:00:23.609,0:00:27.209 to help make sense of all the information[br]you're seeing on your timelines. 0:00:27.399,0:00:30.559 Know the difference between [br]misinformation and disinformation. 0:00:30.780,0:00:35.330 It's important to first understand[br]the difference between these two words. 0:00:35.500,0:00:37.909 You've probably seen or heard them a lot 0:00:37.909,0:00:39.419 over the past couple of years. 0:00:39.420,0:00:42.490 Misinformation is false[br]information that is spread 0:00:42.490,0:00:45.999 regardless of whether[br]there is intent to mislead. 0:00:46.219,0:00:50.210 Disinformation, on the other hand,[br]is designed to deceive you. 0:00:50.210,0:00:52.410 It might be a manipulated narrative 0:00:52.409,0:00:54.399 or completely made up facts. 0:00:54.399,0:00:57.409 Disinformation is just plain propaganda. 0:00:57.409,0:01:00.309 So now you know the types[br]of bad information, 0:01:00.310,0:01:02.929 what can you do when you come across them? 0:01:02.929,0:01:05.290 Check your emotional response. 0:01:05.290,0:01:08.630 Social media is designed[br]to get a big reaction out of you, 0:01:08.629,0:01:11.179 whether it's something to like, or love, 0:01:11.180,0:01:14.160 cry over, or get angry about. 0:01:14.160,0:01:16.069 If you're scrolling through social media 0:01:16.069,0:01:18.870 and you see something[br]that really speaks to you, 0:01:18.870,0:01:20.977 and like really feels right, 0:01:20.977,0:01:26.249 and you think, "Yes, that really[br]solidifies what I think." 0:01:26.249,0:01:29.279 That should be a warning to you[br]that it might be questionable. 0:01:29.279,0:01:32.779 Often, you'll find that[br]the facts that are included 0:01:32.780,0:01:36.820 in means that feel the most[br]right, are actually wrong. 0:01:36.819,0:01:39.789 Look for red flags in the post itself. 0:01:39.979,0:01:42.189 How do you know if something is wrong? 0:01:42.189,0:01:44.050 Well, there are a lot of telltale signs 0:01:44.050,0:01:46.360 that a post may not be legitimate 0:01:46.360,0:01:49.820 that you can find without leaving[br]your social media feed. 0:01:50.040,0:01:52.970 If you see dozens and dozens of hashtags, 0:01:52.969,0:01:56.039 take a closer look -[br]who is the post targeting? 0:01:56.040,0:01:59.020 What audience is the post trying to reach? 0:01:59.019,0:02:01.675 Immediately we are skeptical 0:02:02.206,0:02:06.789 because you're seeing[br]lots and lots of hashtags - 0:02:06.789,0:02:09.050 that's sort of a giveaway[br]that someone is trying 0:02:09.050,0:02:11.290 to spread something really quickly. 0:02:11.290,0:02:14.451 You might even notice [br]a few QAnon hashtags here, 0:02:14.451,0:02:16.460 which is a fringe, 0:02:16.460,0:02:18.730 but now more populist conspiracy theories. 0:02:18.729,0:02:21.039 So immediately, that was a tip off 0:02:21.039,0:02:23.840 something does not seem right here. 0:02:23.840,0:02:27.710 Next, the posts may have[br]already been flagged for you. 0:02:27.930,0:02:31.450 Most social media platforms[br]work with independent fact checkers 0:02:31.450,0:02:33.739 and allow them to add labels 0:02:33.740,0:02:37.370 to post that are false, misleading,[br]or taken out of context. 0:02:37.590,0:02:39.590 Open a new tab. 0:02:39.590,0:02:43.170 New tabs are every[br]fact-checkers best friend. 0:02:43.169,0:02:45.000 We've talked to a lot of journalists, 0:02:45.000,0:02:47.300 and they all had one thing in common - 0:02:47.300,0:02:50.380 just look at all of the tabs. 0:02:50.380,0:02:51.569 Once you open a new tab, 0:02:51.569,0:02:53.969 the best place to start is[br]with an internet search. 0:02:53.969,0:02:55.350 A keyword search can show you 0:02:55.350,0:02:57.379 where the information[br]came from originally, 0:02:57.379,0:03:00.629 but you can also cross[br]reference with other sources, 0:03:00.629,0:03:03.280 and find out if what you're seeing 0:03:03.280,0:03:06.979 has already been clarified or debunked. 0:03:06.979,0:03:08.289 Check out the website. 0:03:08.289,0:03:11.460 Sometimes the social media posts[br]will link out to a website. 0:03:11.460,0:03:12.600 If that's the case, 0:03:12.600,0:03:15.170 you can learn a lot about[br]the source's legitimacy 0:03:15.169,0:03:17.379 with just a little bit of detective work. 0:03:17.379,0:03:21.110 So you always wanna do as much[br]research on the website as possible 0:03:21.110,0:03:22.520 before sharing something. 0:03:22.520,0:03:25.670 So always go to that website[br]and find their "About" page. 0:03:25.670,0:03:27.740 If there's not a lot of information there, 0:03:27.740,0:03:30.850 or there are spelling errors,[br]or it seems kind of generic, 0:03:30.849,0:03:32.370 that might be a signal to you 0:03:32.370,0:03:34.403 that the website's not reliable. 0:03:35.590,0:03:37.300 Try one of these tools. 0:03:37.300,0:03:40.100 Journalists use a number[br]of excellent free resources 0:03:40.099,0:03:43.500 to help them learn more[br]about a piece of information. 0:03:43.500,0:03:44.969 Found a questionable photo? 0:03:44.969,0:03:47.069 Start with a reverse image search. 0:03:47.069,0:03:50.409 And this reverse image search[br]is where you can kinda ask the internet, 0:03:50.409,0:03:52.576 whether it's Google[br]or another search engine, 0:03:52.576,0:03:55.187 "Has something been uploaded[br]to the internet before 0:03:55.187,0:03:58.160 with a thumbnail like this?[br]Can you find this online?" 0:03:58.159,0:04:01.359 For dubious websites, use Whois. 0:04:01.360,0:04:04.570 This lookup tool can tell[br]you who registered the domain 0:04:04.569,0:04:07.609 and when a website was first created. 0:04:07.879,0:04:10.769 If a website was created[br]around the same time 0:04:10.770,0:04:13.360 that the post you saw was going viral, 0:04:13.360,0:04:16.490 that may sound a few alarm bells for you. 0:04:16.490,0:04:19.189 Be prepared for breaking news. 0:04:19.319,0:04:22.089 Reliable news takes time,[br]but when news breaks, 0:04:22.089,0:04:25.039 information can travel faster than facts. 0:04:25.040,0:04:26.810 So what can you do to make sure 0:04:26.810,0:04:29.470 you're getting accurate[br]up-to-date information? 0:04:29.470,0:04:32.040 It's really helpful, I think,[br]if you're an individual, 0:04:32.040,0:04:36.629 to create a list with all [br]of these different journalists 0:04:36.629,0:04:39.469 so that you can monitor[br]them during breaking news. 0:04:39.470,0:04:41.380 Build your own little stable of experts 0:04:41.379,0:04:43.569 that you trust, that are verified. 0:04:43.569,0:04:46.789 And that way you might see[br]that what you're about to share 0:04:46.789,0:04:49.421 actually showed up here[br]as something that you shouldn't. 0:04:49.421,0:04:50.459 Exactly. 0:04:50.459,0:04:51.589 Ask for help. 0:04:51.589,0:04:54.359 If you see something on your feed[br]that needs a fact check, 0:04:54.359,0:04:56.480 reach out directly[br]to a trusted fact-checker 0:04:56.480,0:04:58.759 and ask them to investigate it for you. 0:04:58.759,0:05:02.259 We definitely need the public's help too, 0:05:02.259,0:05:04.769 to flag things for fact checkers. 0:05:04.769,0:05:07.289 We have an email, we have[br]social media accounts, 0:05:07.290,0:05:10.140 and if people have questions,[br]we would love to help them. 0:05:10.990,0:05:14.040 2020 has been a year. 0:05:14.040,0:05:18.169 It seems like every day has brought[br]some fresh breaking news, 0:05:18.169,0:05:22.194 and along with it, some right [br]falsehoods and outright lies. 0:05:22.399,0:05:24.319 It's been exhausting for everyone. 0:05:24.319,0:05:26.250 That's why we're especially grateful 0:05:26.250,0:05:29.269 to all of the hardworking[br]journalists that we've spoken to. 0:05:29.269,0:05:33.349 We've covered just a few bits[br]of misinformation in our 10 episodes, 0:05:33.349,0:05:36.550 but these fact checkers[br]have covered thousands. 0:05:36.550,0:05:39.410 So hats off to you all,[br]and to everyone else 0:05:39.410,0:05:43.220 who's out there checking[br]sources, verifying facts, 0:05:43.220,0:05:45.269 and debunking bogus claims. 0:05:45.269,0:05:47.171 Until next time. [br]Don't spread fake news. 0:05:47.171,0:05:48.189 keep it real. 0:05:48.189,0:05:50.639 I'm Hari Sreenivasan,[br]and this is Take on Fake. 0:05:53.459,0:05:55.094 Thanks for joining us this season. 0:05:55.094,0:05:57.150 We're gonna take[br]a little break for a while, 0:05:57.150,0:06:00.039 but we hope you keep fact[br]checking throughout our hiatus. 0:06:00.039,0:06:02.399 Check out the description[br]for a bunch of resources 0:06:02.399,0:06:04.582 to help you chase the truth.