PEN America’s primer for news consumers on spotting and combating disinformation when news breaks

The threat of disinformation is nothing new, but amid the rise of highly sophisticated and accessible generative AI tools, increased polarization, and a declining trust in the news, spotting falsehoods is growing more difficult. As we navigate an onslaught of misleading content, it is vital that we all become more discerning consumers of information and news. Here’s a primer for spotting and combatting disinformation.

Definitions

• Disinformation: False, misleading or manipulated information, presented as fact, designed and spread with the intention of misleading and deceiving.
• Misinformation: False, misleading or manipulated content presented as fact, irrespective of an intent to deceive.
• Generative AI: Deep-learning models that can generate text, images, videos and other content based on the data they were trained on, in response to prompts.

Think before you react or engage.

Social media and generative AI take advantage of the impulsivity and disconnection of the digital age, while disinformation thrives on engagement — likes and shares — on social media platforms. Bad actors create posts designed to inflame your emotions and encourage you to quickly disseminate their content, even if it’s false or misleading. If you see something that seems too outlandish to be true, or that makes you especially angry or emotional, it might be an attempt to mislead or deceive. Before taking the bait, take a step back and question what you see, and check whether credible news sources or journalists are sharing it. This is called “lateral reading.” 

Before reposting content shared on social media, analyze the poster’s profile, including their username, photo, bio, and the accounts they follow. Check to see whether the poster follows accounts known to spread mis- and disinformation or if they frequently tag public figures to attract attention. If so, be cautious of sharing or reporting on the content without further fact-checking and corroborating evidence.

Take control of your news consumption.

With new platforms appearing frequently, it can be difficult to build a reliable and consistent news diet. Regularly examine where you get information, whether it’s from social media or news outlets. Find outlets you trust, but double-check information across publications and see how their coverage differs. Diversify your news consumption, and regularly check for updates to stories you’re following. Critically read the “About Us” page on unfamiliar sites and examine their reporters’ credentials and backgrounds.

Distinguish between news, opinion, analysis and commentary.

Some stories look like news but are actually opinion pieces. Is it news? Is it a friend posting about their opinion or reaction to a news event? Is it a prediction or inference? Some advertisements are designed to read like articles. Before hitting share or forward, first consider the type and purpose of content.

Check the captions of images and videos.

Images, videos, memes, and other visual content can be intentionally miscaptioned or presented out of context to mislead. For example, old photos can be presented as new. If you want to investigate the origins of an image, try a reverse image search. Google’s reverse image search or TinEye.com are tools to get you started. If you suspect something might be a video or audio deep fake of a well-known person, consider whether the content is drastically different from that person’s previously stated beliefs.

Correct misinformation when you see it.

Not all false information is spread with the intent to deceive. If a family member or friend shares information that you learn is false, politely tell them and share reliable sources of information and evidence with them. If you accidentally share something that is untrue, delete it and post a follow-up correcting the information.

Contact us: Tim Richardson, [email protected]; Mina Haq, [email protected]

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