How to Short-Circuit Misinformation from Spreading Online

Introduction

Welcome, digital detectives! We are flooded with information online every day, but not all of it is true. Misinformation can spread faster than a viral cat video, and it's our job to stop it in its tracks. In this web quest, you will learn the skills of professional fact-checkers to identify, investigate, and debunk misinformation.

Task

Your Mission: To learn and apply key media literacy skills by watching a video from the PBS MediaWise Teen-Fact Checking Network and completing a series of investigative tasks.

Final Product: You will produce a completed Fact-Checking Report on a social media post of your choice.

Process

Step 1: Learn from the Experts

  1. Navigate to the PBS LearningMedia website: How to Short-Circuit Misinformation from Spreading Online.

  2. Watch the video in its entirety. Pay close attention! The video is packed with real-world examples and the techniques the fact-checkers use.

  3. As you watch, answer the "Facts From the Video" questions on the provided worksheet (see Resources section below). This will ensure you catch the key details.

Step 2: Discuss the Techniques

After watching the video, discuss or reflect on the following "Dig Deeper" Questions with your partner or group. These questions are designed to make you think like a fact-checker.

For the "Halloween Fentanyl" & "FDR in a Dress" Segments:

  • Why should social media posts that evoke strong emotions like fear or anger be checked out?

  • What makes an effective Internet keyword search?

  • How can you choose the most reliable sources from a search result?

  • Why is it important to research who is behind a social media account?

For the "Last Among Us Fungus" & "Denver Airport" Segments:

  • How can a social media post manipulate a news story to create a strong emotion?

  • Why is it important to trace a social media “share” back to the original post (upstream reading)?

For the "Keanu Reeves Deep Fake" & "Beyonce Manipulation" Segments:

  • What are the red flags that a video might be a deep fake?

  • Why would someone manipulate an image of a celebrity to spread misinformation?

Step 3: Practice Your Skills (The Fact-Checking Activity)

Now it's your turn to apply what you've learned. Your task is to find a real social media post and investigate it using the skills from the video.

  1. Find a Claim: Locate a post on Twitter (X), Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook that makes a factual claim. It could be about a current event, a historical fact, a celebrity, or a scientific topic. (Tip: Look for posts from secondary sources, not official accounts).

  2. Complete the Investigation: Use the Fact-Checking Report Template below to guide your investigation. You must use the techniques shown in the video:

    • Keyword Searches & Lateral Reading: Find other reliable sources to verify the claim.

    • Reverse Image Search: Use tools like Google Reverse Image Search or Tineye if your post contains an image.

    • Upstream Reading: Try to find the original source of the information.

 

Resources

Evaluation

Fact-Checking Report Template

Part 1: The Social Media Post

  • Username:

  • Platform:

  • Date Posted:

  • Text in Post:

  • Image/Video Description (if applicable):

Part 2: Lateral Reading & Verification

  • Keyword Search Phrases Used:

  • Source One: (URL and name of publication)

  • Source Two: (URL and name of publication)

  • “Is this legit?” Decision: (True, False, Misleading, Needs Context)

Part 3: Finding the Original Source (Upstream/Reverse Search)

  • Original Source Found: (URL or description)

  • Comparison:

    • Similarities:

    • Differences:

    • Final Assessment of Accuracy:

Conclusion

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have now learned the core skills to navigate the complex online information landscape. By pausing before you share, questioning the source, and using lateral and upstream reading, you are no longer just a consumer of information—you are an investigator. You are helping to short-circuit the spread of misinformation. Keep these skills sharp and use them every day!

Evaluation: You will be evaluated on the completeness of your "Facts From the Video" worksheet, the depth of your discussion contributions, and the thoroughness and accuracy of your final Fact-Checking Report.

Credits

PBS NewsHour. “How to Short-Circuit Misinformation from Spreading Online | Be MediaWise.” PBS LearningMedia, Public Broadcasting Service, 2023, www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/short-circuit-misinformation-from-spreading-video/mediawise-student-reporting-labs/.

 

Note on Adaptation: This lesson plan was adapted from the original PBS LearningMedia resource with the assistance of DeepSeek (OpenAI), which was used to reformat the content into a web quest structure.