Fact Checking Tools Against Election 'Information Disorder'

As we stumble into the 2020 presidential election horse race, this is a good time to look at all the tools out here to fact-check what you’re consuming in the media environment. There are a few nonprofit news organizations focusing on accuracy in media and fact-checking, but my favorite is the international organization First Draft News (dive Into their website  for reports and tip sheets on how to cut through "information disorder" -- their term --  translated into five languages). They have -what I think of as The Magical Dashboard, linking to dozens and dozens of places you can factcheck photos, videos, social media posts and more. Go look at it right away!
First Draft News came up with the SHEEP standard for decision making when it comes to sharing links on social media (source, history, evidence, emotion, pictures). Last month I was able to attend one of First Draft News’ day-long training workshops on combating “disinformation disorder” in the US Census and the national elections coming up in November. Virtually all of the content taught at First Draft’s workshop is covered in this incredible series of free downloadable reports, including “Verifying Online Information,” “Closed Groups, Messaging Apps and Online Ads,” and starting with “Understanding Information Disorder.” .  Check them out and support their work!

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