Kōkiri Learn

Background reading · English

Spot the fake: check before you share

Misinformation spreads fast because it grabs our feelings. Four quick checks can help you work out what's true.

False information spreads online every day. Sometimes it is an honest mistake. Sometimes it is made on purpose to get clicks, sell something or change what people think. Research by New Zealand's Classification Office found that almost everyone here comes across misinformation in some way.

Know the words

  • Misinformation: false or misleading information shared by someone who thinks it is true. - Disinformation: false information made and shared on purpose to trick people. - Satire: jokes that pretend to be news. Funny if you know, confusing if you don't. - Deepfake: a video, photo or voice made or changed by AI to look real.

    • Why fakes spread

    Fake posts are often built to make us feel something strongly, such as shock, anger or delight. Strong feelings make us want to share straight away. A famous example is the photo of a shark swimming down a flooded motorway. It has been shared during storms in many countries for years, but it was edited together from separate pictures.

    Four checks

  • Stop: notice how the post makes you feel. Strong feelings are a signal to slow down. - Investigate the source: who posted it? Are they a real news organisation, an expert, or an account you know nothing about? - Find better coverage: do trusted sources, such as RNZ, your council or a science organisation, report the same thing? - Trace it back: where did the photo or quote first appear? Is it from a different place or year?

    • Clues a picture might be fake or old

    Look for strange shadows, blurry edges around a person or object, hands with the wrong number of fingers, signs you can't read, or weather that doesn't match the day. A reverse image search, done with an adult, can show whether a photo appeared years earlier somewhere else.

    If you're not sure

    Don't share it. It is fine to say 'I don't know yet'. If something online upsets or worries you, talk to a trusted adult. Netsafe also gives free help to young people in Aotearoa.

    Sources and further reading

    Written for Kōkiri Learn students in our own words. Check facts against the sources.

    Used in: Fact or Fake? Media and Digital Literacy