Misinformation & Media Literacy

What you’ll learn

• False information spreads faster than the truth because it is emotional, surprising, and confirms what we already believe.
• Misinformation is false info shared by mistake; disinformation is false info spread on purpose to deceive.
• Read laterally: click away from the page to check the source (SIFT: Stop, Investigate, Find better coverage, Trace to the original).
• Use reverse image search to catch old or out-of-context photos being passed off as new.
• AI can fake images, video, voices, and text, so "it looks real" is not proof; verify through trusted sources.
• Be skeptical, not cynical: check before you share, because sharing puts your name on it.