Media Literacy / Persuasion Dossier Companion

Media Literacy Field Guide

How to spot disinformation, resist propaganda techniques, and outsmart the social media platforms designed to hold your attention.

READING LEVEL: GRADES 7โ€“8 15 SKILLS ยท 1 METHOD
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Spot Disinformation

False or misleading information spreads fast. Here's how to catch it.

  • Check the source's credibilityverifyLook up who created the content and what their track record is before you trust it.
  • Watch the illusory truth effectcognitive biasRepeated claims start to feel true just because you've seen them many times, even when they're false.
  • Read laterallytechniqueOpen a new tab and check what other reliable sources say, instead of judging a site by itself.
  • Notice emotional triggerswarning signContent built to make you angry, afraid, or thrilled right away is often trying to bypass careful thinking.
  • Verify images and videoverifyDeepfakes and edited media can show events that never happened. A reverse image search can help you check.
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Block Propaganda Techniques

Propaganda uses predictable tricks. Learn to name them.

  • Recognize loaded languagetechniquePropaganda often uses emotional words instead of neutral facts to steer your opinion.
  • Spot false choicestechniqueWatch for messages that force you to pick between only two extreme options when more actually exist.
  • Identify whataboutismrhetoricDeflecting criticism by pointing at an unrelated problem is a rhetorical trick, not a real argument.
  • Question manufactured consensusinfo-opsCoordinated accounts or bots can make a fringe opinion look popular. Check whether real people actually hold it.
  • Separate opinion from evidencetechniqueAsk what specific evidence backs a claim, not just how confidently it's stated.
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Outsmart Platform Traps

Apps are engineered to keep you scrolling. Know the mechanics.

  • Understand variable rewardsmechanismApps work like slot machines: unpredictable likes and notifications keep you checking compulsively.
  • Notice algorithmic amplificationmechanismPlatforms often promote content that provokes a strong reaction, not necessarily content that's accurate.
  • Watch for echo chamberssocial mechanismIf everyone in your feed agrees with you, you're seeing a narrow slice of opinion, not the whole picture.
  • Set boundaries on your timehabitTurn off notifications you don't need, and check apps at set times instead of reacting to every alert.
  • Audit how content makes you feelhabitAsk whether an app usually leaves you informed and calm, or anxious and envious.

The SIFT Method

โ€” developed by Mike Caulfield, media literacy researcher
S Stop

Pause before you react to or share anything.

I Investigate the source

Take a minute to learn where the information comes from.

F Find better coverage

Look for other, more reliable sources on the same claim.

T Trace claims to the original

Follow a quote, claim, or clip back to its original context.