PORTLAND, Maine — Social media and the internet are the best of the inventions and the worst of inventions. Through a device you hold in your hand, you have access to unimaginable quantities of information, the world’s greatest thoughts, a catalog of the most soaring achievements of humanity, not too mention countless videos of cats playing the piano. And yet…
The discourse on social media, as we all know, is often ugly, ignorant, hateful, and vicious. And it’s not just the tone: far too often people make assertions that are inaccurate, biased, propagandistic and untrue.
So how do you sort fact from fiction on social media? Can it even be done? There’s no neat and tidy solution that comes wrapped in a big red bow but, yes, there’s a lot you can do to separate truth from falsehoods. Rich Brooks from Flyte New Media has some straightforward, practical suggestions. Watch our interview to see what he has to say. You may not need this information when you’re navigating the clear waters of social media—but you will when you’re paddling through the swamps.
Tools to use for fact-checking: