Spot the Lie: How to Identify Misinformation and Disinformation

Black Americans know better than most what happens when lies are dressed up as truth. From pseudo-scientific racism to the propaganda that justified lynching and Jim Crow, false information has long been used as a weapon. Today the tools are faster — social media, doctored video, and AI — but the defense is the same: careful, critical reading.

## Misinformation vs. Disinformation Misinformation is false information shared by mistake. Disinformation is false information spread on purpose, to deceive, divide, or discourage. Both do damage, and both can be slowed by a few simple habits.

## Six Habits for Spotting a Lie - Check the source. Who published it? Do they have a record of accuracy? - Read past the headline. Headlines are written to get clicks; the full story often says something different. - Find the author. Look for a real name, credentials, and possible bias. Be wary when no one signs the work. - Check the date. Old stories are often recirculated as if they were new. - Look for evidence. Credible claims cite data, documents, and named sources you can verify. - Watch your emotions. If a post makes you furious or afraid, pause. Strong emotion is the lie's best friend.

## Trusted Places to Check University guides - Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries – Evaluating Information: https://guides.library.jhu.edu/evaluate - Purdue OWL – Evaluating Sources: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/conducting_research/evaluating_sources_of_information/index.html - UC Berkeley Library – Evaluating Resources: https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/evaluating-resources - Stanford History Education Group / Digital Inquiry Group – Civic Online Reasoning: https://cor.inquirygroup.org

News literacy - News Literacy Project: https://newslit.org - Poynter MediaWise: https://www.poynter.org/mediawise

Fact-checkers - FactCheck.org: https://www.factcheck.org - PolitiFact: https://www.politifact.com - AP Fact Check: https://apnews.com/ap-fact-check - Reuters Fact Check: https://www.reuters.com/fact-check - Snopes: https://www.snopes.com

## Why It Matters Disinformation campaigns have targeted Black voters directly — from the Russian "Blacktivist" accounts of 2016 to robocalls telling people the wrong date to vote. Knowing how to check a claim is not just good scholarship; it is protection for our communities and our democracy. Share this guide, and share it before you share the next viral post.

— HistorianSpeaks