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Misinformation March

This year, Middlesex County Library is participating in Misinformation March, a month-long event created by St Clair College Libraries. Each week, we’ll post a new tip and links to help you grow your digital literacy skills and avoid falling for misinformation.

Misinformation March Logo

What is Misinformation?

People usually use the word “misinformation” to describe:

  • Misinformation – false information created or shared without the intention to mislead
  • Disinformation – false information created or shared ­with the intention to mislead
  • Malinformation – true information presented in a misleading way

It includes things like:

  • an opinion stated as a fact
  • a news headline that uses exaggerated language
  • a paid advertisement that looks like an informational article
  • a photograph from one event placed in an article about a completely different event

Many of us know that misinformation is harmful, but…

What can we do about it?

We can start by learning how to spot misinformation. Each week in March, we’ll share a practical tip to help you stay informed and think critically.

Tip One: Using the SIFT Method

The best way to avoid falling for misinformation is to learn how to spot it. The SIFT Method, created by digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield, is a great starting point. SIFT stands for:

S - Stop:

Before sharing or reacting to a post, stop. Ask if you know the source, trust it, or if it triggers a strong emotional reaction.

I - Investigate the Source:

Spend 60 seconds researching the source. Look them up on Wikipedia or search for "who is this" rather than just reading their "About Us" page.

F - Find Better Coverage:

Look for other reputable sources covering the same story or claim. See if the information is supported elsewhere.

T - Trace Claims/Media to Context:

Try to find the original source of the content, photo, or quote to understand its original context. 

For more information, check out these breakdowns of SIFT from the University of Chicago Library and journalist, Amanda Ruggeri.

SIFT breakdown

Tip Two: Watch Out For Deepfakes

Deepfakes and cheapfakes are fabricated or manipulated images, audio clips, and videos.

Deepfakes are content that uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to make something fabricated look real. Common techniques are face swapping, voice cloning, and lip synching.

Cheapfakes are content that is manipulated without using AI tools. Techniques can be as simple as mislabeling a video, or as complex as using video editing software to rearrange a sequence of events.

Deepfakes and cheapfakes are becoming easier to make and more convincing. To identify them, try a combination of approaches:

  • Look for clues including background objects, lighting, and shadows that do not make sense; people blinking oddly (infrequent or mechcanical looking); lip synch mismatches (mouth movements do not match the sound); jewelry, glasses, and other accessories that blend into skin or do not make sense; confusing text including jumbled up letters and unusual characters.
  • Try a reverse-image search to see where an image came from. Google Images and TinEye are two popular tools. Just copy and paste an image to perform the search.
  • Check outside sources, especially if the content is newsworthy – if it is real, it will be found on multiple sites, including legitimate sources of information; for especially newsworthy content, fact-checking websites like Snopes will do full investigations and share the results.
  • Build your detection skills by trying a quiz, like this AI Slop quiz from NPR 

For more information, check out these articles:

Seeing Isn’t Believing: The Fact-Checker’s Guide to Manipulated Video from The Washington Post.

How to detect deepfakes: a practical guide to spotting AI-generated misinformation by Jake Moore for ESET Blog.

Real or AI? 7 Clues to Spot Fake Images Right Away by Ruben Circelli for PCMag.

An image of text that reads: How to detect a deepfake Look for inconsistencies: Are any of the facial features blurry or distorted? Does the person blink too much or too little? Do the hair and teeth look real? Are the audio and video out of sync? Is the voice tone flat or unnatural? Does the visual show odd or unnatural shadows or lighting?

Tip Three: Learn the different forms of misinformation

Misinformation can show up in social media discussions and comments sections in a number of different ways. They aim to create a false impression of what the public thinks and feels.

Misinformation/Disinformation in social media discussions can look like:

  • Sealioning: a type of trolling where someone repeats questions and makes numerous requests for evidence in an effort to spark a fake, needless debate.
  • Catfishing: when someone creates a fake online identity to target a specific victim – often used for fraud and scamming.
  • Bot Accounts: automated software programs (bots) that mimic human engagement. They reproduce clicks, likes and comments, quickly and tirelessly, to boost the popularity of a piece of content and give it more influence.
  • Sock Puppet Accounts: fake online identities that are created to deceive, harass, or abuse. They may be created to bypass being blocked from a platform or to manipulate an online conversation by appearing to be unbiased and neutral when, in reality, they are not.
  • Astroturfing: when powerful organizations craft messaging campaigns to look “grassroots,” coming from regular citizens and community activists; they may use bot accounts and sock puppet accounts to make it seem like their messages are just the opinions and ideas of “ordinary people.”

For more information, take a look at these resources:

Fake News, Misinformation, and Disinformation Guide from University of New Brunswick Libraries.

Disinformation Glossary: 150+ Terms to Understand the Information Disorder from the EU Disinfo Lab.

The Little Guide to Spotting Bots from ScienceUpFirst.

Identifying Sock Puppet Accounts on Social Media Platforms by Daniel Kats for Gendigital Blog. 

How to Spot a Fake Social Media Account by The Better Business Bureau.

How to Spot a Bot (or not): The Main Indicators of Online Automation, Co-ordination, and Inauthentic Activity by Carlotta Dotto and Seb Cubbon for First Draft News.

An image of text that reads: Signs of a fake social media account: Missing or copied profile picture; new, incomplete account; posts recycled images; low engagement quantity, quality, diversity.

Tip Four: Create Your Own Digital Literacy Library

There many ways to learn more about misinformation and how it works. Save or bookmark your favourite resources, and check out some books from the library.

Here are some recommendations to get started.

Highlights from the Middlesex County Library Collection

To place a hold, click on the title.  Have your library card and PIN ready!

Find more titles for all ages by browsing our complete reading list. 

Classes and Video Series

Games and Quizzes (recommended for ages 15 and up)

Online Fact-Checkers and Fact-Checking Resources

Teaching & Learning Resources

Image Attributions:

“Misinformation March” by Victoria Levang and Kimberly Daigneau, https://stclaircollege.libguides.com/Misinformationmarch used under CC BY‑NC 4.0

“SIFT (The Four Moves)” by Mike Caulfield, https://hapgood.us/2019/06/19/sift-the-four-moves/ used under CC BY 4.0

“Deepfake Media Scams Infographic” by the American Bankers Association and the FBI https://www.aba.com/news-research/analysis-guides/deepfake-media-scams

"Signs of a Fake Social Media Account" by the Government of Canada https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CriTt7U5c/