Fact Checking is Good for Your Soul
Today, I am amplifying something that I wrote about last week. It is better for your heart, soul, and mind to check the truth of what you are seeing in social media, and in the press and television news.
Mostly, I want to sharpen your focus on these “not to do’s”:
- Don’t comment on negative posts
- Don’t share negative and false posts
- Don’t believe posts that you find to be not true.
To reiterate:
Whenever you comment on a post, or react to it, the algorithm is cued to send the post out to more people. So even reacting with a red-angry face helps the negative story spread.
On social media, if you repost the negative link — even to criticize it — the act of linking to it will increase the number of eyes on the false story. Instead, tell your side of the story and refer to the negative story by paraphrasing it. Here’s how to refute a lie without repeating it.
When you read a story that embarrasses someone you dislike in political life, naturally you want to believe it. Check those out, too. The pols do enough ridiculous things that are real; keeping lies in your head is just pollution.
Let’s win this battle of the media fairly and squarely.
I urge you to copy the list below. Print it. Stick it near your computer, tablet, or in your wallet. Don’t react, comment, share, or believe anything that doesn’t pass a quick screening with one or more of these sites.
https://apnews.com/hub/ap-fact-check
https://www.reuters.com/fact-check
If you see an image that does not seem real to you, you can learn how to check the image yourself. Here is the instructions for Google Reverse Image Search.
Several of the sites above will also be looking for fake photos and posting the results.
Good luck to us all. It’s a long way to November!