Welcome back to Wednesday Words. Today we have a helpful article about spotting misinformation online or in print—not an easy task given there’s so much of it posted on social media by less-than-trustworthy sources.
Being reflective and thinking about what we read or hear takes time in this hurry-up culture. BUT the cost of rushing to agree with something without question can be pretty high, so I say let’s slow down and think more.
S.I.F.T. through information
This S.I.F.T. reminder is from a BBC article written by Amanda Ruggeri, an award-winning science and features journalist. For the entire article, click here.
S is for … Stop
I is for … Investigate the source
F is for … Find better coverage
T is for … Trace the claim to its original context
Related Reading
A few years ago, a working journalist and author who teaches at a Florida university recommended these two books to me. She uses them in her journalism classes:
unSpun: finding facts in a world of disinformation by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, with original cartoons by Pulitzer Prize winner Signe Wilkinson
The Art of Making Sense: A Guide to Logical Thinking by Lionel Ruby
Thanks for reading!
Best wishes from your writer on the wing,
Charlene
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