Want to be a fact-checker? Here’s how

About 60% of people are concerned about their ability to differentiate between real news and fake news. This is according to the 2024 Digital News Report from Reuters Institute. Many news consumers are bothered about disinformation and misinformation, especially on online platforms like TikTok and X.

Everyone wants credible information; news they can trust and be sure is accurate but it is also getting harder to decipher what is real and true from what is not. The truth is the fight against mis/disinformation is increasingly becoming difficult for a few people dedicated to fact-checking to win.

As fact-checkers, we occasionally receive calls from people who encounter various pieces of information and doubt their accuracy. This includes viral videos, claims about trending political topics, health-related assertions, social issues and more.

The people who reach out to me often want to verify whether those claims are genuine. While they seek to fact-check the information, they are often unsure about how to fact-check or they start and get stuck along the way. I guide them through the process of fact-checking, which is often quite straightforward in many instances.  

Fact-checking can be easy and ideally more people should be able to verify information they receive or come across on the internet, especially because of increased access to digital devices and the internet. However, sometimes, fact-checking can also be a daunting task, especially when perpetrators of the fake news make use of AI to create the content.  

But that does not mean we should not fact-check. Fact-checking is one skill people must have at this age, and you don’t need to be a journalist to have it. Beyond being a skill, fact-checking is a responsibility we must all take. 

BBC’s Fact-Check team member Tom Edgington describes fact-checking as “a practice in relative infancy compared to traditional journalism”. In his research paper on “Perceptions, Power and Polarisation: The Political Impact of UK fact-checking”’, Tom defines fact-checking as a process of selecting, testing and evaluating the veracity of political claims.

Considering the virality of fake news and its grave impact on individuals and democracies, fact-checkers alone cannot win this fight. We need all hands on deck. It is a collective responsibility not just the prerogative of professional fact-checkers or journalists.

The State of Fact-checkers Report 2024 by the Poynter Institute shows that social issues topped the list of frequently fact-checked topics as 95.7% of organizations reported engagement. This was followed by public health (92.1%) and elections (90%).

Where to start from

If you’ve been wondering how to start fact-checking claims you come across online, start by getting familiar with the works of fact-checkers.

Read fact-check reports from fact-checking organisations like Fact-Check Ghana. One of the benefits of fact-checking is that unlike news reporting—which can involve anonymous sources or instances where reporters choose not to disclose their sources for security reasons—the process of fact-checking is unique. Fact-checkers are transparent about their methods and sources in their reports. This commitment to transparency allows anyone to follow the process and reach the same conclusions. Fact-checkers walk you through the process of fact-checking every claim. If you commit some time to reading fact-check reports, you’ll be familiar with the many ways to verify different kinds of information. It’s a good start.

Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and Fact-checking 

Media and Information Literacy teaches individuals to analyse, evaluate and access information and engage meaningfully with information.  

Use of Media Information Literacy content

Many fact-checking organisations, institutions and other organisations share content on their platforms on how individuals can identify mis/disinformation. Find MIL some content (here, here, and here). Sometimes, these groups even offer training sessions on media and information literacy. In the event you are unable to participate in any training session, you can access a bulk of MIL content online. There are many insightful articles and videos on how to spot fake news and how to deal with it. Read them. Watch them. 

Make use of your phone. All you need is “data”

If you are in Ghana, you’ve probably come across this before “If you are sad, all you need is data”. Once you connect to the internet, there is a great pool of satirical content to make you gay. But beyond entertainment, the mobile device is an asset in fighting mis/disinformation.

With a mobile device, one can make use of verification and digital tools like reverse image searches and deepfake detection platforms.

Improve your fact-checking skills

Basic fact-checking requires you to always find the context. Context refers to the situation in which something happens that helps you to understand it.  Often, people share content that is taken out of context. They could cut an excerpt of an interview and share it with a different caption other than what the speaker was originally talking about, or the context in which a comment was made. Always ask yourself, what is the context? It matters to know the context because it helps you interpret the information appropriately. 

You also need to learn how to identify the biases, inconsistencies and sensationalism in a piece of information. Often, fake news tends to appeal to your emotions. They are sensational and are intended to get you to feel or react in a certain way.

Check for source credibility. Is the platform sharing the information credible? 

You should read from multiple sources. If it is a news article, cross-reference facts with other sources. What are other media houses reporting about the issue?

Available resources for those interested in learning more about effective fact-checking

The internet is full of resources on any subject. There are many online courses on fact-checking. Fact-check Ghana has some resources on how to spot fake news on its website to help you in your fact-check journey. Fact-checking websites are crucial.

Google, like many search engines, is not an authenticator! Don’t assume the results you get after a search are the “facts”. Search engines cannot filter facts from fiction. Google is only a search engine that curates information, both facts and false information. 

Now, here is why you don’t have to take everything as true. 

Quite recently there were claims that Ghana’s former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was ranked the world’s number one liar. Many people who pushed this false narrative often said, “Just Google it”. For them, once the information popped up on Google’s search page, it was something credible to make a case. But this is false. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) can make false information popular if it is widely shared. Also, algorithms could be manipulated if more people create content that is optimized for search the search engine. 

Check. Check. Check again

If we all receive and share information, we should all be able to verify what we’ve got. We should all be fact-checkers, maybe not professionally, but intentionally.

In this period of raising awareness about the essence of verifying information and fighting mis/disinformation, it is imperative that as we call for everyone to become a fact-checker, we also support existing fact-checkers and their works. 

While you are at it, share fact-checked reports. Share and don’t keep them to yourself. But importantly, resolve to verify the information before you share. Happy fact-checking!