Why check information?
We read and hear many things every day: messages, videos, posts, books and news. Some are true. Some are wrong by mistake. Some are made to trick us. Reliable information is information we can trust to be true and fair.
Checking takes one minute. It protects you and the people you share with.
Check the author
The author is the person or group who made the information. Ask three things:
- Who is it? A name is better than a hidden name.
- Do they know the topic? A doctor knows health. A school office knows the school timetable.
- Did they see it themselves? A person who was there is stronger than a person who only heard it.
A primary source comes from the people or place involved. A secondary source tells about it later. Both can be useful, but check the second kind more.
Check the source: date, proof, purpose
The source is where the information is published: a website, book, notice or video. Ask:
- Date: Is it recent enough? Old facts can be out of date.
- Proof: Does it show numbers, names, a link or a picture you can check?
- Purpose: Was it made to inform you, to sell you something, or to make you angry or afraid? A bias is a leaning to one side. Spot it.
Be careful with loud titles, many capital letters and words like "share before it is deleted".
Compare several sources
One source can be wrong. So compare several sources. Pick sources that are independent, which means they did not just copy each other.
- If good sources agree, trust grows.
- If they differ, look at the author, date and proof of each. The better-checked one is stronger.
- If you can find only one source for a big claim, wait. Say "not sure yet".
Try it
Take a forwarded message from home. Write its author, date and proof. Then find two more sources. Make a table with three rows and see how many agree.
Key formulas and definitions
- Reliable = known author + good source + others agree
- Author: who, knows the topic, saw it
- Source: date, proof, purpose
- Compare: 2 or more independent sources
- Primary source: from the people involved; secondary: told later
- Bias: leaning to one side
Worked examples
1. A post says "Drink this juice and never get ill". It has no name, no date and no proof. Is it reliable?
No. The author is hidden, there is no date and no proof. The purpose may be to sell juice. All three checks fail, so do not believe or share it.
2. Your teacher says the school picnic is on Friday. The school website also says Friday. A friend says Thursday. What do you decide?
Friday. Two good sources (teacher and school website) agree. The friend probably heard it wrongly. You may politely ask the friend where they heard it.
3. You find a news article on a new bus route. It is from 2009, written by a named reporter, with a picture of the road. Is it fine to use for today's route?
The author and proof are good, but the date is old. Roads change, so check a recent source such as the city transport page before you decide.
Common mistakes
- Believing a message because many friends forwarded it. Many people sharing does not make it true.
- Checking only one thing, like a nice-looking website. Check author, source and other sources.
- Trusting the first search result without reading who wrote it.
- Using two sources that copied each other and calling them "different" sources.