The core idea
Turn the message into one precise claim. Find its original record, check who and when it applies to, compare independent evidence, and state what you can actually establish. An unresolved claim is not automatically false.
1. Make the sentence testable
“This is the best college” is an evaluation unless someone supplies a measure of best. “Applications close on 14 October” is a factual claim, but still incomplete: which course, year and applicant group? Before searching, write the smallest question that would change your decision. For a deadline, that might be: What is the current closing date for this named course and admission year?
Separate a report from a recommendation. A notice may say a workshop is free; the caption may add that everyone should send identity documents immediately. The second instruction needs its own justification. Do not let a true detail transfer credibility to every sentence surrounding it.
Sources: UNESCO: Media and information literacy and misinformation ↗
2. Follow the claim back to a record
A screenshot shows what an image contains, not who issued it. Search a distinctive phrase together with the institution’s name. Open the institution’s own website by a route you trust, then look for the actual notice, publication or named office. Record the page address and document date. A logo copied onto a graphic is not evidence of authorship.
A primary record is closest to the question it can answer: a college notice establishes what that college announced. It does not independently prove that a course improves employment. That second question needs outcomes, definitions and a comparison. Choose evidence for the claim, rather than treating any official-looking page as an answer to everything.
Sources: UNESCO: Journalism, fake news and disinformation handbook ↗
3. Worked case: an old notice in a new message
Invented case: on 10 October 2026, a student receives “Scholarship deadline extended to 14 October”. The attached image has no year. The issuing college’s archive contains the same notice dated 8 October 2024. Its current 2026 notice instead names 12 October. The old image is genuine, but its use as this year’s instruction is misleading. Authentic material can still be placed in the wrong context.
A useful conclusion is: “The forwarded image matches a 2024 notice. The current notice I found gives 12 October 2026; check that page for further updates.” Keep both links in your notes. Avoid “the college is a fraud” or guessing the sender’s motives: neither follows from this evidence. These dates teach a method; they are not a real scholarship announcement.
Separate the message from the record
| Item | Year | Closing date shown |
|---|---|---|
| Forwarded crop | Not visible | 14 October |
| Matching archive notice | 2024 | 14 October |
| Current notice | 2026 | 12 October |
Sources: UNESCO: Media and information literacy and misinformation ↗
4. Count evidence, not repetitions
Ten accounts reposting the same screenshot still give you one underlying item. Independent corroboration means a source obtained relevant evidence separately: for example, a dated notice and a response from the responsible office reached through its published contact details. Two blogs copying one press release do not become two independent investigations.
When sources disagree, compare scope before choosing a winner. One may cover undergraduate applicants and another postgraduate applicants. Check dates, definitions, geography and whether an update replaced the earlier record. If the conflict remains, write down precisely what is unresolved and contact the responsible institution using contact details you found independently.
Sources: UNESCO: Journalism, fake news and disinformation handbook ↗
5. What a picture can and cannot establish
For a photograph, ask separate questions: is this the same image, where was it made, when, and what happened outside the frame? Searching the image can reveal older appearances. An earlier dated appearance can challenge a claim that it was taken today. But a search that finds nothing does not prove that the image is new or accurate.
A crop can remove a date, caption or nearby event that changes the meaning. Look for the fuller version before interpreting it. Do not publish someone’s personal details while checking a claim, and do not contact or accuse a person solely because a forwarded image names them. Verification should reduce harm as well as uncertainty.
Sources: UNESCO: Journalism, fake news and disinformation handbook ↗
6. Write a conclusion someone can check
Use four short lines: the exact claim; the record with its date and link; what the record supports or contradicts; and what remains open. “Not verified” means insufficient evidence so far. “Contradicted by the current notice” is a narrower, stronger finding. Reserve confidence for the part you checked.
If you already shared a mistaken message, correct it in the same conversation with the updated source. Explain the changed fact without embarrassing the sender. A clear correction is more useful than silently deleting your copy while everyone else continues to rely on it.
Sources: UNESCO: Media and information literacy and misinformation ↗
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
A short investigation with answers
- Write the exact missing detail in “All students receive free laptops”. Answer: the issuing programme, eligible group, year and conditions are missing; the word “all” needs evidence.
- Three articles cite the same unnamed message. How many independent confirmations are established? Answer: none; you have three repetitions, not independently obtained records.
- A photo appears in a dated 2023 article and is labelled “taken yesterday” in 2026. What can you say? Answer: the earlier appearance contradicts that date claim, without proving everything about the event shown.
- Draft a two-sentence correction for the scholarship case. Suggested answer: “This image is from the 2024 notice. The current 2026 notice gives 12 October; please use the current notice and check for updates.”
Check your understanding
Is a true image always correctly captioned?
No. The date, place or event described may be wrong even when the image itself is authentic.
Does “not verified” mean false?
No. It states the limits of the available evidence, not a final verdict.
Why retain the source date?
An accurate older notice may no longer apply to the current year or decision.
What makes two sources independent?
They obtained relevant evidence separately, rather than both copying the same original claim.
Does an official announcement prove its promised outcome happened?
No. It establishes the announcement; actual outcomes need their own evidence.
What should a correction include?
The specific corrected fact and a checkable source, shared where the earlier error was circulated.