How to Spot and Counter Misinformation Online – A Course authored by wikiHow and United Nations Verified

The internet is basically the world’s biggest potluck: there’s gourmet food, questionable casseroles, and at least one dish that has been sitting out since 2013.
The problem is, misinformation doesn’t come with a label that says, “Hi, I’m a viral lieplease share me with your entire group chat.”
It shows up dressed as a headline, a screenshot, a “doctor said,” or a video that feels real because your brain is busy panicking instead of fact-checking.

That’s why the free digital literacy course created by wikiHow and United Nations Verified is so useful: it teaches practical, repeatable habits for spotting
questionable content and responding in a way that slows the spreadwithout turning every conversation into a comment-section cage match.
This guide breaks down those habits, adds field-tested strategies used by educators, fact-checkers, and security experts, and gives you a checklist you can use in under a minute.

What the wikiHow x UN Verified Course Covers (and Why It Works)

The UN launched the Verified initiative to push trustworthy, science-based information during global crises and to help people become “information volunteers” in their own networks.
Later, Verified teamed up with wikiHowknown for step-by-step, plain-English guidesto build a course that turns media literacy into a daily practice instead of a once-a-year reminder.

The course format is intentionally simple: bite-size lessons that focus on real-world skills like
pausing before you share, fact-checking what you see, and talking to people who shared misinformation without humiliating them.
That last part matters. Facts are important, but so are feelingsbecause misinformation loves emotions the way a cat loves knocking things off tables.

Start With the “False Info Family”: Misinformation, Disinformation, and the Sneaky Third Cousin

Knowing the categories helps you choose the right response.

Misinformation

False or misleading content shared without the intent to harm. Think: someone reposts an outdated storm photo because they genuinely believe it’s from today.

Disinformation

False content created or shared on purpose to mislead. This is where you’ll see coordinated campaigns, fake accounts, and “evidence” that evaporates the second you ask for a source.

Malinformation

Real information used in a misleading waylike a true quote ripped out of context, or a real statistic framed to imply something it doesn’t actually prove.

Translation: not everything false looks fake, and not everything true is being used honestly.

The 60-Second Habit That Stops Most Misinformation: Pause Before You Share

Your best defense is not a complicated tool. It’s a tiny delay.
Misinformation spreads when people share fastespecially when content triggers fear, anger, disgust, or “I KNEW IT!” satisfaction.
A short pause gives your thinking brain time to catch up with your reacting brain.

Quick self-check questions

• What emotion is this trying to trigger? Outrage and urgency are common bait.
• Do I want this to be true? Confirmation bias is a powerful editor.
• Am I about to share the headline without opening the link? If yes, congratsyou’re in the danger zone.

This “pause” mindset is central to the course because it prevents you from becoming an accidental distributor of something you wouldn’t endorse if you had 30 extra seconds.

Use a Fact-Checker’s Superpower: Lateral Reading (a.k.a. “Open New Tabs Like a Pro”)

Professional fact-checkers don’t stay on one page and stare harder at it. They leave.
They open new tabs to see what reliable sources say about the site, the claim, and the context.
Educators call this lateral reading, and it’s one of the fastest ways to separate credible information from convincing nonsense.

The Three Questions Method

A simple approach taught in media literacy curricula is to ask:
Who’s behind the information? What’s the evidence? What do other sources say?

• Who’s behind it? Look for an About page, funding, ownership, and a track record. No transparency = red flag.
• What’s the evidence? Are there sources you can inspect (studies, documents, direct quotes), or just “experts say” vibes?
• What do other sources say? If a claim is real and important, credible outlets or official sources usually confirm it.

Lateral reading also protects you from “professional-looking” sites that exist mainly to sell supplements, harvest clicks, or push an agenda.
Design is cheap; credibility is earned.

SIFT: The Four Moves You Can Actually Remember

If you want a simple framework that fits on a sticky note, try SIFT:

1) Stop

Pause. Take a breath. Decide if the claim is even worth your attention.
If it’s trying to hijack your emotions, that’s a clue.

2) Investigate the source

Search the organization or account name separately. What do trusted references say about it?
Is it known for satire, scams, or extreme bias? Does it clearly label opinion vs reporting?

3) Find better coverage

Look for reporting from outlets with standardsclear corrections policies, named editors, and transparent sourcing.
If only sketchy sites are repeating the claim, that’s not “confirmation.” That’s “copy/paste in a trench coat.”

4) Trace claims, quotes, and media to the original context

Follow quotes back to full interviews. Find the original study (not a screenshot of a screenshot of a screenshot).
Check whether an image is old, edited, or used in the wrong event.

Images and Video: How to Avoid Getting Fooled by a Perfectly Cropped Lie

Visual misinformation is powerful because your brain treats “seeing” as “believing.”
But images are easy to repost out of context, and synthetic media is getting more convincing.
The goal isn’t paranoiait’s verification.

Reverse image search (your new best friend)

If an image is “proof,” run it through reverse image search tools to find where it appeared before.
Very often you’ll discover it’s from a different country, a different year, or a totally different event.
A classic example: a dramatic blizzard photo shared as “today,” when it actually circulated years earlier.

Check for missing context

• Is the video clipped right before the key detail?
• Is the screenshot missing the date, source, or full quote?
• Is the chart missing axes labels, sample sizes, or methodology?

Deepfakes and synthetic media: stay calm, verify smart

If a video shows a public figure saying something shocking, treat it like a claimnot proof.
Look for the original upload, credible coverage, and verification from reliable outlets.
When stakes are high (money, health, safety), don’t rely on one cliptriangulate.

Numbers Don’t Lie… But They Can Be Styled Like a Lie

Data can be accurate and still misleading. Watch for these tricks:

Cherry-picking

Showing only the data points that support a conclusion and ignoring the rest.
If a chart starts at a weird date or uses a suspiciously zoomed-in scale, ask why.

Correlation ≠ causation

Two trends moving together doesn’t mean one caused the other. Sometimes the “cause” is a third factoror pure coincidence.

Authority laundering

A claim gets repeated until it “sounds established.” If you can’t find the original study, document, or official statement, assume it’s not solid.

Common Misinformation Costumes (So You Can Spot Them in the Wild)

• Impersonation & phishing: Messages that look like banks, delivery companies, or official agenciespushing urgency and links.
• “Just asking questions” traps: Leading questions that imply a conclusion without evidence.
• Satire taken literally: Comedy sites and parody posts reposted as “breaking news.”
• Fake experts: White coats, vague credentials, “doctor” with no verifiable license or research history.
• Screenshots as receipts: A screenshot is not a source; it’s a photo of a claim.
• Too-perfect stories: Content engineered for outrage, with villains, heroes, and zero nuancereality is rarely that tidy.

How to Counter Misinformation Without Torching Relationships

The goal is to reduce harm and increase accuracynot to win the internet.
UNICEF-style guidance for misinformation conversations emphasizes empathy, listening, and questions over dunking.
That approach also matches what the course encourages: respond in a way that keeps the other person engaged instead of defensive.

Use curiosity, not contempt

• “Where did this come from?”
• “Do you mind if we check the original source together?”
• “I saw a different explanation from a reliable sourcewant to compare?”

Offer a better source (and explain why it’s better)

Instead of “that’s false,” try:
“This source shows the original data and explains the method.”
Or: “Multiple reliable outlets are reporting the same thing, and they cite official documents.”

Prebunking: teach the trick before the trick hits

Prebunking is like a vaccine for your brain: you learn the common manipulation techniques (fear-mongering, false comparisons, scapegoating),
so you recognize them faster when they show up. It doesn’t require debating every single claimjust spotting the pattern.

Know when to disengage

If someone is committed to a narrative no matter what evidence you show, you can still protect others by posting a calm correction,
linking to credible information, and refusing to amplify the misleading claim further.

Protect Yourself From “Action-Based” Misinformation: Scams, Impersonation, and Risky Clicks

Some misinformation isn’t trying to change your opinionit’s trying to get your password.
Scam messages often borrow the style of real companies: logos, familiar language, “account problem” warnings, and urgent calls to act now.
A smart rule: never use the link in the message to log in or update payment info. Go directly to the official site or app you already trust.

If a message pressures you to act immediately, threatens consequences, or asks for sensitive information, treat it as suspicious until proven otherwise.
“Urgent” is a common costume.

A 7-Step Checklist for Spotting Misinformation Fast

1. Pause. Notice emotional triggers (anger, fear, smug certainty).
2. Scan the source. Who is behind it? What’s their track record?
3. Read past the headline. Headlines are bait; details matter.
4. Check the date and context. Old info recycled as new is everywhere.
5. Look for evidence you can verify. Original documents, studies, full quotes.
6. Cross-check. What do multiple credible sources say?
7. Verify visuals. Reverse image search; find the original upload.

Conclusion: Be the Person Who Shares Truth Like It’s a Community Service

You don’t have to be a journalist or a tech expert to fight misinformation.
You just need habits that slow down bad information and speed up good information:
pause, verify, check context, and respond with calm clarity.
The wikiHow x United Nations Verified course is a great starting point because it focuses on what actually works in daily lifeyour inbox, your feed, and your group chats.
And the best part? Every time you choose accuracy over impulse, you’re making the internet slightly less chaotic.
That’s not nothing. That’s real impact.

Real-World Experiences: What People Commonly Learn the Hard Way About Misinformation (and How They Bounce Back)

In real life, misinformation rarely arrives with dramatic villain music. It shows up as a familiar pattern: a friend posts something alarming, a relative shares a screenshot,
or a “breaking” update appears in a group chat with 47 notifications and exactly zero context. One common experience people describe is the group chat fire drill:
someone shares a post claiming a new law, a new outbreak, or a new “secret” warningusually paired with “SHARE BEFORE THEY DELETE THIS.”
The first time it happens, lots of people share it to “be safe.” Later, someone notices the date is from years ago or the claim traces back to a random account with no sources.
The lesson isn’t “never trust anyone.” It’s “urgency is a clue.” After that, people often adopt a new habit: they reply with questions instead of forwarding.
“Where’s the original announcement?” becomes a normal sentence, not an insult.

Another experience is the old photo in a new costume. During major eventsstorms, conflicts, protestsimages travel faster than explanations.
People see a powerful photo and assume it’s current. When they learn reverse image search, it’s like finding a secret door in a video game:
suddenly you can see where an image appeared before, what captions it originally had, and how it’s been repurposed. Many people describe the moment they discover
a “today” photo is actually from a different country and a different decade as equal parts embarrassing and empowering. Embarrassing because, yes, they almost shared it.
Empowering because now they have a tool, not just a feeling.

Health misinformation creates its own set of lived lessons. People often report that the most convincing medical claims use confident language and personal testimonies:
“This worked for me,” “Doctors won’t tell you,” “Big companies are hiding it.” The turning point usually comes when someone learns to look for the original source of a claim,
check whether reputable organizations address it, and see if multiple independent sources agree. Once they do that a few times, they realize a pattern:
legitimate health guidance usually explains uncertainty, cites evidence, and updates over timewhile misinformation tends to promise certainty, instant results, and simple villains.
The experience teaches a gentle but important skill: you can care about people and still challenge the information.

Then there’s the “trusted source” surprise. People are often shocked when a popular creator, a verified account, or even a familiar brand shares something misleading.
That experience teaches a mature version of media literacy: credibility is not a permanent badge; it’s a standard you check repeatedly. After that, people get more comfortable
cross-checking even the accounts they like. Not because they’re cynicalbut because they’re consistent.

Finally, a lot of people learn about misinformation through scams. A message arrives that looks like a delivery service, bank, or subscription renewal.
It uses urgency, a link, and a threat of consequences. Sometimes people click first and think secondbecause the design looks official. Once someone learns the safer routine
(open the real app, type the real website, don’t use the link in the message), they often share that habit with others. It becomes a mini public service announcement in family chats:
“Don’t clickgo straight to the official site.” This is exactly the kind of ripple effect the wikiHow x UN Verified course aims for:
not perfection, just better defaults. The internet will always have questionable casseroles. The win is learning how to sniff them before you take a bite.