Fake News & Digital Media Literacy: Understand the Role Emotions Play in Misinformation

Understand the Role Emotions Play in Misinformation

One of the most common tactics used by mis- and disinformation creators is to create headlines/content that play on your emotions. When an article, social media post, image, or video invokes a strong emotion from you (whether good or bad), that may be a sign that the information needs to be fact-checked.

"Use your emotions as a reminder. Strong emotions should become a trigger for your new fact-checking habit. Every time content you want to share makes you feel rage, laughter, ridicule, or even a heartwarming buzz, spend 30 seconds fact-checking.  It will do you well."

- Mike Caulfield in Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers (Used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license)