Mis- and disinformation are ever-evolving challenges to our democracy. Now, even the most outrageous falsehoods blow up quickly and are hard to tamp down. The consequences are devastating, and the rise of mis- and disinformation has touched many parts of our political sphere and how we orient ourselves within our democracy. ~ League of Women Voters of the United States
Misinformation is information that is unintentionally false or misleading. Disinformation is false information that is deliberately designed to deceive those who encounter it. Both are dangerous when shared, as they misinform individuals about issues and work against our ability to sustain a common understanding of what’s true. This is a threat to our democracy, particularly during an election year.
Resources to Support Media Literacy: Knowing Truth from Misinformation
A number of nonprofits provide excellent tools for evaluating news sources and articles.
The LWV partners with the News Literacy Project, a nonprofit devoted exclusively to news literacy education and training for teachers and the public. Their tools include:
- Quiz: Is it Legit? Take this 2-minute quiz to test your news literacy!
- This infographic and this infographic provide tips to help you identify bias in news sources and confirm that they are legitimate. Here is an excerpt:
- Boost Your News IQ training videos are educational and sure to raise
awareness and provoke discussion when shared with family, friends, and students!
September 2024 Event Recording: How to Know What's True
Battling Misinformation on Social Media
Many people receive their news and election information from social media, where rumors and misinformation run rampant. Make sure to check the date on posts, see if reliable news sources are reporting the same things, and read past the headline. Here are more tools for weeding out the good from the bad:
- Misinformation on social media (excerpt below): The full infographic from the News Literacy Project includes red flags and how to defend against them
- Social Media rumor monitor: Rumor Guard offers frequent fact-checks about rumors that are circulating on social media, many of which relate to election and political information.
- If you're wondering if an image may have been fabricated or manipulated, a reverse image search may help: Google Image (click the camera)
- Clemson University's Media Forensics Hub put out an englightening (and challenging!) quiz that you can use to learn more about how bots and trolls infiltrate our social media feeds. Can you Spot the Troll?
- The Poynter Institute, a global nonprofit that strengthens democracy by providing information and tools that enhance the ethical practice of journalism, offers a MediaWise site with diverse programs and tools about fact checking and media literacy. We love their Teen Fact-Checking Network and their free, one-week text messaging course called Find Facts Fast - use the QR code to enroll!
- Don't let disinformation or confusion keep you from participating in our democracy. Get correct election info and learn more about the candidates on your ballot at VOTE411.org.
In 2024, the League of Women Voters accepted a new national position in support of Local News and Democracy. One aspect of this position supports expanded media literacy and news education in our communities.
