Information Credibility: Separating Facts from Fiction Online - Cheat Sheet

The ESCAPE Method for Evaluating Sources

• Evidence: Are claims backed by verifiable data?
• Source: Who created this information and why?
• Context: Is the full context presented or just partial information?
• Audience: Who is the intended audience? How might this affect presentation?
• Purpose: Why was this content created? (Inform, persuade, entertain, sell)
• Execution: How is the information presented? Professional or sloppy?

Red Flags of Misinformation

• Emotional, sensationalist language
• Clickbait headlines that don’t match content
• Missing or anonymous authors
• No citations or links to sources
• Outdated information presented as current
• Claims of “suppressed” or “secret” information
• Excessive ads, popups, or revenue-generating features
• Mimicking legitimate news sites with slight URL differences

Quick Fact-Checking Techniques

• Search the claim + “fact check”
• Check multiple reputable sources
• Verify images with reverse image search
• Look for original context of quotes
• Check publication dates for timeliness
• Examine author credentials and expertise
• Look for expert consensus on scientific topics
• Visit fact-checking websites (Snopes, FactCheck.org, etc.)

Types of Misleading Content

• Misinformation: False information shared without intent to harm
• Disinformation: Deliberately false information created to deceive
• Malinformation: True information shared out of context to cause harm
• Clickbait: Sensationalist content designed to generate clicks
• Pseudoscience: Claims that appear scientific but lack evidence
• Deepfakes: Manipulated media that appears authentic

Cognitive Biases That Affect Evaluation

• Confirmation bias: Favoring information that confirms existing beliefs
• Availability bias: Giving more weight to easily recalled examples
• Bandwagon effect: Believing something because many others do
• Authority bias: Trusting information from perceived authorities
• Emotional reasoning: Evaluating based on emotional response

Lateral Reading Process

1. Leave the original site to investigate the source
2. Open new tabs to search for information about the publisher/author
3. Look for what others say about the source
4. Return to original content with context about its reliability

Before You Share

• Read beyond the headline
• Check the source’s reputation
• Verify claims with trusted sources
• Consider if it seems too good/bad to be true
• Look for emotional manipulation
• Check date for relevance
• Consider your own biases
• Ask: “How do I know this is true?”