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This page was translated from the German original, partly by machine. Some passages may read awkwardly or contain inaccuracies. When in doubt, please read the original.

Summary

In this chapter we dealt with media literacy and source criticism: the skills of finding your way around in a world full of information and separating the good from the bad.

We have learned:

  • Media literacy comprises access, analysis/evaluation, reflection and responsible production. UNESCO combines it with information literacy under the term MIL (Media and Information Literacy).
  • With false information it helps to distinguish cleanly between misinformation (false, without intent), disinformation (false, with intent to harm) and malinformation (true, but used as a weapon). The term „fake news“ is vague and politically charged; experts avoid it.
  • The most important practical tool is the SIFT method: Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace to the original. Its core is lateral reading: don't judge a source from the inside, but leave the tab and check it via other sources.
  • Sources are evaluated against six criteria: authorship, expertise, reputation, currency, independence and evidence, bundled in the question Cui bono? (Who benefits?). Mnemonics are CRAAP (credibility) and PICK (fitness for purpose).
  • Searching well means: precise terms, operators, click restraint and distinguishing types of sources (primary, secondary, tertiary sources). Wikipedia is an excellent starting point (via the references to the primary sources), but not an end point.
  • Social-media algorithms optimise for engagement, not truth, and amplify emotional, divisive content. The popular filter-bubble thesis is empirically surprisingly weakly supported, an object lesson that a catchy theory is not true simply because it is catchy.
  • Disinformation is targeted; states engage in it too. AI-generated content and deepfakes make faking easier, but the same checking methods (check the source, look for the original, reverse image search) still work.
  • You don't have to check everything yourself: reputable fact-checkers (recognisable by the IFCN code) and free verification tools (reverse image search, InVID, geolocation) help.

The most important message is an attitude, not a technique: check first, then believe, and all the more so before you share. Not distrust of everything, but practised, calm scepticism. Source criticism is trainable, and the moves often take only seconds.

In short

When in doubt: Stop. Who says this? What do others say? Where is the original? Four questions, and most false reports collapse.

Sources​

Methods and concepts​

Disinformation and research​

AI fakes​

Fact-checking and tools​

Wikipedia​

Further learning materials​