Before sharing a factual post, pause, identify the exact claim, check who published it, and look for independent corroboration. If it includes a photo or video, check whether the media fits the claimed time and place. If any part remains uncertain, wait rather than forwarding the claim as fact.
Start with a pause, especially when a post provokes a strong reaction
Shocking, urgent, or emotionally charged posts can make sharing feel immediate. Treat that reaction as a cue to slow down—not as evidence that the post is true or false. The United Nations’ Pause campaign encourages people to think before sharing and question emotive content; Cornell University Library also recommends pausing before passing along a post that has fired you up.
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Check who published it and what the post actually claims
Inspect the account and the web address
Look at the account or publisher, then check the actual URL behind the post. A familiar name or polished page can be imitated, so watch for lookalike addresses. Also identify what kind of item you are reading: a report, opinion piece, review, or analysis. Each has a different purpose, and commentary should not be mistaken for reported evidence. Cornell’s media-literacy guide recommends checking the source and verifying information rather than relying on a post’s appearance.
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Separate the factual claim from its framing
State the specific, checkable claim in your own words. Distinguish it from the caption, opinion, prediction, or emotional language around it. Then look for the underlying evidence or original reporting. A screenshot or unsourced summary may omit context, attribution, or qualifications; search established outlets and reputable sources directly for the claim.
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Corroborate the claim independently
Search beyond the original post and compare coverage from multiple reputable sources. This is often called lateral verification: leave the post and investigate the claim elsewhere. Reposts of the same original assertion do not necessarily amount to independent confirmation. Likes, shares, familiarity, and a friend’s confidence are also not substitutes for evidence.
UNESCO’s 2024 survey of 500 digital content creators in 45 countries found that 62% said they did not carry out rigorous and systematic fact-checking before sharing. In that same creator survey, 42% used likes and shares as a main credibility indicator, 21% were willing to share content if trusted friends had shared it, and 19% relied on the original author’s or publisher’s reputation. These figures describe surveyed creators, not all social media users. UNESCO reported that 73% of the creators wanted media and information literacy training. UNESCO’s survey report gives the population and findings.
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Check the context of photos and videos
For photos, look for earlier appearances
A reverse-image search can help find earlier appearances of a photo and reveal whether it has been reused with a new caption. An earlier match may challenge the post’s claimed context, but it does not by itself answer every question about what a later post says.
For videos, examine frames and context
Inspect keyframes and compare the claimed date and location with independent evidence. Where available, metadata may provide clues, but neither the presence nor absence of a metadata field proves a video’s origin or truth. UNESCO’s 2018 handbook on journalism, “fake news,” and disinformation covers social-source assessment and visual verification methods, including reverse-image search, video analysis, metadata, and geolocation. The handbook is educational guidance, not a guarantee that any single test will settle a claim.
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The InVID Verification Plugin project describes its plugin as a verification “Swiss army knife” intended to help journalists work more efficiently when checking videos and images on social networks. Its project page describes verification functions; such tools can assist investigation but cannot determine truth on their own.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Decide whether to share, wait, or correct
- Share: when the precise claim is supported by evidence, independent reputable sources corroborate it, and any image or video fits the stated context.
- Wait: when important details are missing, sources conflict, or the media’s origin or context is unclear. Look for more information before passing it along.
- Correct carefully: if you need to address a misleading post, share a substantiated correction with context rather than forwarding the unqualified claim.
The practical test is not whether a post looks convincing or is popular. It is whether its source, evidence, corroboration, and media context support the exact claim being shared.
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