NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — We know as you're making up your mind on who to vote for in this contentious political season, we all have a lot of information to sort through.
Let's be honest: sometimes what we find online can be a little confusing, and we all want to make sure the information we look at is accurate.
The good news: you don't need to be a journalist to do that.
But we found something that might surprise you; a study done this year by the University of Central Florida says people who did online fact-checking on a story they read were more likely to believe a story was true — even if the story was actually false.
Curious how that can happen? Check out the video above, using President Biden's press conference this week as an example.
The reason stems from looking up information on search engines like Google, using certain keywords that are part of the false information itself, which simply populates more examples of the false information in the results. The study says seeing those articles may lead someone to conclude a statement is real, even when it's not.
Instead of just looking at a number of articles online, a study from the University of Central Florida said it's important to vet news sources by Googling those sources, too.
We get it: this can take time, and nobody wants to be fooled into thinking something is true when it really isn't.
The study says looking for news outlets you already know and trust, like us here at NewsChannel 5, may be your best bet to ensure what you're reading is real.
Journalism is at its best when we can shine a light on an issue that needs more attention. Once again, Hannah McDonald does this beautifully by highlighting the hardships of teens aging out of the foster care system. I learned something new in her reporting and am inspired by the work I AM NEXT is doing to make a difference. I think you will be too!
-Carrie Sharp
