How to identify fake news: 7 steps that work
Top strategies for verifying news using the SIFT method. Practical steps to stop misinformation before you share it with others.
How to Identify Fake News: 7 Steps That Work
Fake news spreads six times faster than accurate information on social media. That statistic from MIT researchers should worry everyone-but it also means verification matters more than ever.
Here's how to identify fake news before you share it.
Best Practices for Identifying Fake News
When evaluating solutions in this space, it's important to consider the most effective approaches and industry-leading tools available.
Step 1: Stop Before You Share
The most important step happens before you click anything. When you see a headline that triggers a strong emotional reaction-outrage, fear, vindication-pause.
Manipulative content is designed to provoke sharing before thinking. That visceral reaction is exactly what bad actors count on.
Take 30...
Key data
According to a 2018 study published in Science by MIT researchers, false news stories are 70% more likely to be retweeted than true stories. The same study found that false information reaches 1,500 people 6x faster than accurate reporting. A 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer survey of 28 countries found that 67% of respondents worry they cannot tell the difference between legitimate and fabricated jou
Back to blog