Session Four:

Stop. Think. Check

Smell Something?

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Stop. Think. Check.

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Here's how to sniff out the truth...

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Research the source.

• If it's a website, look at other stories published on the site. Are there lots of different authors? Is there a "contact us" page? Has it existed for a long time? Is it selling something?
• If it's a social media account, look to see how recently the account was created, and what else has been posted. Do they post a lot? At all times of the day and night? It could be a robot account…
• Check the author. Do a quick search on their name. Are they credible? Are they real? If no author name is provided, that's a red flag.
• Check the images. Is there credit given to the photographer and source? If not, it could be a fake picture, or a picture from a completely different story.
• Follow the links provided. Do they really support the story someone is telling? Are they from a reliable source?

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Ask an expert. There are 300 fact- checking organisations around the world. They cover some topics that aren't kid-appropriate, though, so you'll need an adult to help you search. You can also ask a librarian, or an expert on the specific topic you're researching.

If you're worried about a news story, type the exact headline into a search engine. If it's fake, a fact-checking website may have already investigated it and published the results.

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Look for other articles on the same topic, written by someone else. Is anyone else writing about this?

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Check the date. Is this really new, or did it happen a long time ago? If it's old news, is it still relevant?

Show Me!

Show Me!

Choose your verdict

Our Turn!

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Show Me!

Our Turn!

Our Turn! - Swap