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5 Simple Tips to Fight Disinformation
How to respond to election disinformation — online and with friends and family — without making it worse. Guided by advice from experts in communications and community organizing.
Are you encountering election-related content online that seems misleading? Are you finding yourself in awkward or difficult situations with friends and family, trying to correct false claims they’ve seen on Facebook?
As the production and distribution of disinformation becomes more sophisticated, it is increasingly common to see convincing false claims online. Anyone can fall prey to disinformation, and it’s important to have strategies you can use to fight back. Here are five tips for effectively responding to disinformation, guided by advice from experts in communications and community organizing.
1. When in doubt, do no harm
The most important thing to keep in mind when you encounter disinformation is to do no harm. Social media platforms have algorithms that reward engagement, so even if you are correcting false information, liking, commenting on, or sharing a post can end up boosting disinformation to a wider audience. Take a moment to think about whether a post warrants a public response. Ask yourself:
- “How can I indirectly respond to this claim?”
- “If I’m worried about people in my own network believing this false claim, how can I reach them one-on-one to correct misconceptions?”
A great way to take action without amplifying content is to report it to reportdisinfo.org, an election disinformation tip line run by Common Cause.
2. In conversations about false information, listen and lead with empathy
Confrontations about disinformation can be highly emotional, so it’s important to enter a conversation with the goal of building connection. Listen to understand, not to respond. Try to identify the reasons they find the claim compelling, and how values and emotions might be at play.
Once you understand where they’re coming from, try to identify values that you share. For example:
“It seems like we both care a lot about living in a democracy, and we want our democracy to maintain its integrity.”
It’s okay if you don’t share specific concerns — this still builds trust, which is fundamental to combating disinformation.
3. Respond without judgment, and avoid making assumptions
Approaching these interactions with a judgmental tone will not set you up for a productive conversation. Be conscious of ways your fact-checking might come across as condescending or belittling, and don’t make people feel bad for believing false information.
4. If you decide to fact-check, offer both facts and logic
Make fact-checking a collaborative process. Guide them to trusted information sources, but don’t tell them what to think. Ask permission before sharing, and share your own tips and experiences:
“Can I show you where I like to verify news about voting?”
“I saw that too! Want to know what I heard?”
In addition to sharing specific corrections, talk through the logic of why a claim couldn’t be true, or the motivations behind why someone might post it. Be patient — you might not bust the myth right away, but you may encourage them to think critically about what they see.
5. Disengage from unproductive conversations
Remember: do no harm. If a conversation isn’t going well, you can always walk away to keep the dynamic from becoming combative. Pick your battles. If you do choose to disengage, be empathetic, don’t judge, focus on feelings, and step back.
“I didn’t mean to upset you. I know we both care about this a lot. How about we talk about this again later?”
Developed by Voter Protection Corps with the International Digital Accountability Council.