5 Simple Tips
to Fight Disinformation
Are you encountering election-related content online that seems misleading? Are you finding yourself in awkward or difficult situations with friends and family, trying to correct false claims they’ve seen on Facebook?
As the production and distribution of disinformation becomes more sophisticated, it is increasingly common to see convincing false claims online. Anyone can fall prey to disinformation, and it's important to have strategies you can use to fight back. Here are 5 tips for effectively responding to disinformation, guided by advice from experts in communications and community organizing.
1. When in Doubt, do no harm
The most important thing to keep in mind when you encounter disinformation is to do no harm. Social media platforms have algorithms that reward engagement, so even if you are correcting false information, liking, commenting or sharing a post can end up boosting disinformation to a wider audience. Take a moment to think about whether a post warrants a public response. Ask yourself questions like:
“How can I indirectly respond to this claim?”
“If I’m worried about people in my own network believing this false claim, how can I reach them one-on-one to correct misconceptions?”
A great way to take action without amplifying content is to report it to reportdisinfo.org, an election disinformation tip line run by Common Cause.
2. In conversations about false information, listen and lead with empathy.
Confrontations about disinformation can be highly emotional, so it’s important to enter a conversation with the goal of building connections. Listen to understand, not to respond. Try to identify the reasons that they find the claim in question to be compelling, and how values and emotions might be at play.
Once you understand where they’re coming from, try to identify values that you share. For example:
“It seems like we both care a lot about living in a democracy, and we want our democracy to maintain its integrity.”
It’s okay if you don’t share specific concerns — this still builds trust, which is fundamental to combatting disinformation.
3. Respond without judgment, and avoid making assumptions.
Approaching these interactions with a judgmental tone will not set you up for a productive conversation. Be conscious of ways that your fact-checking efforts might come across as condescending or belittling, and don’t make people feel bad for believing false information!
4. If you decide to fact-check, offer both facts and logic corrections.
Make fact-checking a collaborative process. Guide them to trusted information sources, but don’t tell them what to think. Ask permission before sharing, and share your own personal tips and experiences.
“Can I show you where I like to verify news about voting?”
“I saw that too! Want to know what I heard?”
In addition to sharing specific corrections, have a conversation about the logic of why a certain claim couldn’t be true, or the motivations behind why someone might post a certain piece of disinformation. Be patient – you might not be able to completely bust myths right away, but you may encourage them to think critically about the information they see.
5. Disengage from unproductive conversations.
Remember, do no harm! If a conversation isn’t going well, you can always walk away to prevent the dynamic from becoming combative. It’s important to pick your battles. If you do choose to disengage, be empathetic, don’t judge, focus on feelings, and walk away.
“I didn’t mean to upset you! I know we both care about this a lot. How about we talk about this again later?”