Is It True? How to Fact-Check Online

Imagine a friend tells you that cats can breathe underwater. You think it sounds very strange. What would you do before you believed them? You would probably check it somehow — maybe ask a grown-up, look in a book, or search online. But here is the tricky part: even online, not everything is true. Anyone in the world can put words on a website. Some people make mistakes. Some people even share false information on purpose.

A fact-checker is someone who checks whether a piece of information is really true. Journalists, scientists, and teachers all do this. You can do it too. Step 1 — Ask: Who wrote this? Look for the name of the person or organisation behind the information. A well-known museum, a government website, or a university is usually more trustworthy than a page with no name at all. A trustworthy source is one that is reliable and can be checked. Step 2 — Ask: Can I find the same fact somewhere else? If three different trustworthy websites all say the same thing, it is much more likely to be true. If only one site says it — especially a site you have never heard of — be careful. Step 3 — Ask: Does the page look strange? Watch out for lots of spelling mistakes, shouting capital letters, or headlines that seem designed to shock you. These are warning signs called red flags. Step 4 — Ask: When was it written? Old information can become wrong over time. Check for a date on the page. A page about science or news from ten years ago might be out of date. Step 5 — Ask: What is the reason behind this? Some websites want to sell you something or make you feel angry or scared. That can make them less honest. Ask yourself: why did someone write this?