02
What's the source?
Swim back up the stream to where the info was born.
Why it's a trap
Information is like a river: the further you drift from the source, the more debris it carries that wasn't there at the start. A report becomes an article, the article becomes a headline, the headline becomes a cropped screenshot — and by the time it reaches you, the message no longer resembles its starting point.
The good news: the origin can be found. An official document can be consulted, a press release can be checked on the site of whoever supposedly issued it, a “study” has a title and authors. If a claim asserts things without ever showing where they come from, the problem is the claim's — not yours.
The moves
- Look for the link to the original document. There isn't one? Search for it yourself with a few precise keywords.
- A screenshot is not a source: find the original post — it may be cropped, doctored, or invented.
- “According to a study” with no study name = red flag. A real study has a title, a date, authors.
- On an unfamiliar site, open the “about” page: who publishes it, from where, since when?
The classic trap
A post claims “a new rule” will change the school's hours, screenshot attached. On the school's official site: nothing. The screenshot came from a two-year-old draft that was never adopted.
Keep in mind
Trace the source, not the megaphone.
Practise this reflex
Cases in the library train precisely this reflex:
- What should you do before sharing this? (Health & miracle cures)
- What should you do? (Health & miracle cures)
- What's the right response? (Health & miracle cures)