Disaster News and Recovery : Fact-Checking Disaster News

Quick Debunked Facts about the 2025 Wildfires:

• While there have been less than 5 arson arrests outside of the wildfire zones, there are no credible reports of roaming unhoused or homeless arsonists starting fires in LA as reported in NBC News.
• There was no deliberate shortage of hydrant water either by the governor or anyone else as stated by LADWP. 
• While there have been reports of some looting, overall most affected evacuated neighborhoods have been intact and/or guarded by enforcement. In fact, there have only been 14 LAPD and 39 County Sheriffs' arrests and not all for looting as reported to CBS News. They include charges like curfew violations and the possession of firearms and narcotics.

Sources for Debunking False Information

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When big news breaks, it can be hard to cut through the noise and find accurate information. Misinformation thrives during times of war, natural disasters and upheaval — and bad actors often spread falsehoods for cheap engagement on social media.

This infographic offers six best practices to help you navigate fast-moving stories:

1. Mind the gap: Keep in mind that there’s often a gap between what the public wants to know and the verified information available. Unconfirmed or completely bogus content often rushes in to fill that gap.
2. Beware bad actors: Remember that bad actors often capitalize on breaking news situations to spread falsehoods for easy likes and shares.
3. Do a quick search: This is often your best defense against misinformation. Investigate claims away from social media at credible sources that have ethical standards for reporting and guidelines. 
4. Look for evidence: Claims that make bold assertions but provide no links or other evidence should always be approached with caution.
5. Seek credible sources: Be intentional about looking for credible news and not relying on social media algorithms to bring you updates.
6. Practice patience: Quality journalism and verification take time. Be ready to follow news developments over time.
7. For images: Use Google’s reverse image search to see where a photo has been used on the internet, for example, if an image purporting to show a person during the L.A. fires is, in fact, an archive image from another year entirely. However, keep in mind that Google prioritizes its own AI results at the top of the page and can be unreliable, inconsistent and even inappropriate, so it’s best if you actually visit the source through the links provided.

Remember: Early details in news reports may turn out to be incorrect, and it might take days or even weeks to untangle initial accounts in a major story. The last thing you want to do is add to the fog of confusion by sharing an unverified post or visual. Slowing down and following these tips can help keep you anchored as the story continues to unfold.

From NewsLit Project

What Makes an Information Source "Good?"

“Good” sources include those that provide complete, current, factual information, and/or credible arguments based on the information creator’s original research, expertise, and/or use of other reliable sources.

Whether a source is a good choice for you depends on your information needs and how you plan to use the source.

Evaluating Sources Using Lateral & Vertical Reading

The SIFT* & PICK approach to evaluating sources helps you select quality sources by practicing:

  Lateral Reading (SIFT): fact-checking by examining other sources and internet fact-checking tools; and

Vertical Reading (PICK): examining the source itself to decide whether it is the best choice for your needs.

*The SIFT method was created by Mike Caulfield under a CC BY 4.0 International License.

SIFT

Stop Check your emotions before engaging Do you know and trust the author, publisher, publication, or website? If not, use the following fact-checking strategies before reading, sharing, or using the source in your research Investigate the source Don’t focus on the source itself for now Instead, read laterally Learn about the source’s author, publisher, publication, website, etc. from other sources, such as Wikipedia Find better coverage Focus on the information rather than getting attached to a particular source If you can’t determine whether a source is reliable, trade up for a higher quality source Professional fact checkers build a list of sources they know they can trust Trace claims to the original context Identify whether the source is original or re-reporting Consider what context might be missing in re-reporting Go “upstream” to the original source Was the version you saw accurate and complete?

UVU Fulton Library Instruction Video: How to SIFT

SIFT Method: Evaluating Sources via Youtube (3:40)

PICK

Purpose / Genre / Type Determine the type of source (book, article, website, social media post, etc.) Why and how it was created? How it was reviewed before publication? Determine the genre of the source (factual reporting, opinion, ad, satire, etc.) Consider whether the type and genre are appropriate for your information needs Information Relevance / Usefulness Consider how well the content of the source addresses your specific information needs Is it directly related to your topic? How does it help you explore a research interest or develop an argument? Creation Date Determine when the source was first published or posted Is the information in the source (including cited references) up-to-date? Consider whether newer sources are available that would add important information Knowledge-Building Consider how this source relates to the body of knowledge on the topic Does it echo other experts’ contributions? Does it challenge them in important ways? Does this source contribute something new to the conversation? Consider what voices or perspectives are missing or excluded from the conversation Does this source represent an important missing voice or perspective on the topic? Are other sources available that better include those voices or perspectives? How does this source help you to build and share your own knowledge?

 SIFT & PICK by Ellen Carey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Last updated 4/11/23.