Understanding Online Information: Context and Verification

Importance of Context

• As stories and claims travel online, they often lose important context.
• Misleading or deceptive information can replace the original context.
• Always aim to get as close to the original source as possible.

Retrieving the Original Source

• Similar to a game of 'broken telephone', verify the message by returning to the original source.
• It's relatively easy to trace back to the original source.
• Once found, assess if the original source is accurately represented.

Example: Misleading Headline

• Claim: A majority of Canadians support defunding the police.
• Case of re-reporting: Information re-reported from another source, in this case, Global News.
  • Original headline showed only a slim majority (51% vs 49%).
  • Global News headline: More balanced, indicating Canadians are divided.
• Importance of tracing to the original source for accurate context.

Misinformation through False Context

• False Context: Real content shared with a misleading summary or comment.

Example: False Claim on Twitter

• Claim: NDP leader praised Trump and suggested adopting U.S. policies on race.
• Linked source: Globe and Mail, a reliable source.
• Discrepancy: The tweet misrepresented the original article.
  • Actual story: Singh criticized Canadian policy, referencing Trump negatively.

Verifying Information

• Always click through to the original story when summary is provided by an unknown source.
• Use the 'Find' feature (Ctrl-F/Command-F) to search for keywords quickly on a page.
  • Example: Searching for terms like 'Trump' or 'policy' to gauge the accuracy of claims.

Conclusion

• If uncertain about an online claim, verify its accuracy and context by visiting the original source and conducting keyword searches.
• Trust only verified summaries from known and reliable sources.