To combat misinformation, verify information before sharing it, evaluate the credibility of sources, check claims against reliable evidence, and develop strong media literacy skills. Be especially cautious of sensational headlines, emotionally charged messages, and suspicious images or videos. Fact-checking organizations such as PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, and Snopes can help identify false claims. Combating misinformation also requires educating others, correcting falsehoods respectfully, and supporting trustworthy journalism and institutions. While misinformation cannot be eliminated entirely, individuals and organizations can reduce its spread by promoting accurate information and encouraging critical thinking.
One of the easiest ways to combat misinformation is to pause before sharing something online.
Pauline Hoffman, an infodemiologist and author of Fake News, Witch Hunts, and Conspiracy Theories, encourages people to resist the temptation to immediately repost sensational information.
Her advice is simple: "Care before you share."
Imagine encountering a social media post claiming that a new law has passed. Before sharing it, take a moment to search for the law and confirm whether reputable sources are reporting the same information.
Political scientist Jason Reifler recommends using established fact-checking organizations, including PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, and Snopes, to investigate questionable claims.
Even a quick search can prevent you from unintentionally spreading something false.
Not all information sources are equally reliable.
Simone Leeper, senior legal counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, recommends investigating where information originates and whether the source has demonstrated credibility.
If you encounter an article from an unfamiliar website, examine who wrote it, whether the publication has editorial standards, and whether other credible outlets independently confirm its claims.
Whenever possible, look for primary sources, such as official government documents, original research, or direct statements, rather than relying entirely on secondhand interpretations.
Remember that even trustworthy sources can make mistakes. The goal isn't to blindly trust one outlet but to evaluate evidence across reliable sources.
Misinformation often spreads because it provokes strong emotional reactions.
Samuel C. Spitale, author of How to Win the War on Truth, encourages people to examine the emotions that media messages are designed to produce.
For example, a headline might portray a political opponent as dangerous or claim that a shocking event has occurred. If the message immediately makes you angry, frightened, or outraged, that emotional reaction is a good reason to investigate further.
Spitale also recommends asking:
"Who benefits from me believing this?"
That question can help reveal whether someone is attempting to influence your opinions, generate engagement, or sell you something.
Emotional content isn't necessarily false, but strong emotions can make careful evaluation more difficult.
Media literacy is the ability to critically evaluate the information we encounter through news, social media, advertisements, and other communication channels.
Hoffman argues that improving education and literacy is essential to combating misinformation.
Developing media literacy means learning to distinguish facts from opinions, recognize misleading headlines, identify credible sources, and understand how information spreads.
It also means recognizing that photographs, videos, and audio recordings aren't necessarily authentic.
Generative artificial intelligence can now produce convincing fake media depicting events that never happened. Before accepting an extraordinary image or recording as evidence, look for independent verification and its original context.
What should you do when someone you know shares misinformation?
It can be tempting to immediately tell them they're wrong. However, that approach may make them defensive rather than receptive.
Katie Harbath, a former public policy director at Facebook, discusses how corrections and contextual information can encourage people to reconsider misleading claims without directly confronting their identities or beliefs.
Similarly, Hoffman emphasizes understanding why people believe what they believe.
Rather than insulting someone or questioning their intelligence, ask where they encountered the information and offer credible evidence that provides a different explanation.
The goal should be to help someone discover accurate information, not embarrass them for believing something false.
Combating misinformation requires more than individual fact-checking.
Jonathan Rauch, author of The Constitution of Knowledge, identifies three important areas for action: strengthening truth-seeking institutions, encouraging individual responsibility, and rebuilding civic relationships.
Journalism, scientific research, independent fact-checking organizations, and other institutions help establish shared standards for evaluating evidence.
Rauch also emphasizes the importance of becoming what he calls "reality allies"—people who speak up for factual information and resist spreading false narratives.
Strengthening relationships across political and social divides can also make communities less vulnerable to manipulation.
Another useful strategy is prebunking, which involves providing accurate information before people encounter misleading claims.
Harbath describes how election officials and civic organizations can explain voting procedures in advance, helping citizens recognize false claims about registration, absentee ballots, or polling locations.
Instead of waiting for misinformation to circulate and then correcting it, prebunking helps people understand the facts beforehand.
This approach can be useful for schools, news organizations, government agencies, and community groups.
Misinformation is unlikely to disappear entirely. But that doesn't mean we're powerless against it.
Every time you verify a claim, question a sensational headline, share a reliable source, or respectfully correct false information, you help improve the information environment.
The most important habit is simple: think before you believe, verify before you share, and remain willing to change your mind when the evidence changes.
Democracy depends on citizens having access to reliable information. Protecting that foundation is a responsibility we all share.
What is misinformation, and how does it spread so quickly online? Learn the difference between misinformation and disinformation, how social media and AI amplify false narratives, and what experts say you can do to protect yourself and strengthen democracy.
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Subscribe to our NewsletterMisinformation is false, inaccurate, or misleading information that is shared without the intention to deceive. It occurs when someone believes something is true and passes it along to others, even though the information is incorrect. Misinformation can take many forms, including false news stories, misleading social media posts, inaccurate statistics, and rumors. Unlike disinformation, which is deliberately created or spread to deceive people, misinformation is generally shared in good faith. However, both can influence public opinion, create confusion, and undermine trust in reliable information.
Misinformation is bad because false or misleading information can cause people to make decisions based on things that aren't true. It can harm public health, influence elections, damage reputations, increase political polarization, and undermine trust in reliable sources of information. Even when misinformation is shared without malicious intent, its consequences can be serious. In a democracy, widespread misinformation is particularly dangerous because citizens need accurate information to evaluate political leaders, debate public policies, and make informed voting decisions. When people cannot agree on basic facts, solving shared problems becomes much more difficult.
The main difference between misinformation and disinformation is intent. Misinformation is false or misleading information shared by someone who believes it is true, while disinformation is false or misleading information deliberately spread to deceive or manipulate others. For example, someone who knowingly creates a fake news story to influence an election is spreading disinformation. However, someone who believes that story and shares it with friends is spreading misinformation. Both can cause harm by misleading the public, influencing decisions, and undermining trust in reliable information, but only disinformation necessarily involves intentional deception.
Misinformation spreads when people share false or misleading information they mistakenly believe is true. It can travel through social media, news outlets, podcasts, messaging apps, and everyday conversations. Social media algorithms can amplify misinformation by recommending engaging content to more users, while emotionally charged claims and trusted personal relationships can encourage people to share information without verifying it. Artificial intelligence can also accelerate the spread by making convincing fake images, videos, and articles easier to create. Together, these factors allow false information to reach large audiences quickly, sometimes before anyone has checked whether it is accurate.
Misinformation affects democracy by making it harder for citizens to make informed decisions, participate in elections, and hold political leaders accountable. False or misleading information can distort voters' understanding of candidates and policies, discourage electoral participation, increase political polarization, and undermine trust in democratic institutions. When misinformation becomes widespread, people may struggle to agree on basic facts, making productive debate and compromise more difficult. Because democracy depends on an informed public, the spread of misinformation can weaken the foundations of democratic governance, even when false information is shared without malicious intent.
Brandon Stover is the Network Manager for The Democracy Group and a Digital Content Specialist at the McCourtney Institute for Democracy. He leads partnerships and collaborations across the podcast network, oversees educational content strategy, and produces written, audio, and video content while managing the network's digital marketing efforts. Before joining the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, Brandon founded and led a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating free educational content on global issues. He holds a master's degree in Architecture from Washington State University.
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