The short answer
Before you believe or share a claim, check where it came from, when it was published, what supports it, and whether another independent source confirms it. If the evidence is still unclear, leave room for “I don’t know yet.”
You’re scrolling, and a headline makes you stop. A familiar service is supposedly changing. A surprising discovery promises to change everything. Someone you trust has shared a screenshot with the words “Is this true?”
You don’t need to become an investigator every time you open your phone. You do need a way to slow down when a claim matters. These five checks give you somewhere useful to start.
1. Find out where it actually came from
A screenshot tells you what someone captured. It may not tell you who originally published it, what surrounded it, or whether it has been altered. Follow the link, look for the original announcement, and identify the person or organization making the claim.
Then look beyond the source’s own description of itself. Does it have relevant knowledge? Is the account or website really connected to the organization it names? A polished logo is a reason to recognize a brand, not proof that the page belongs to it.
Try this: Search for a distinctive sentence from the claim. If it names an organization, find that organization’s website independently and look for the announcement there. MediaSmarts’ guide to checking what’s true explains how to find and assess the source.
2. Check the date—and what happened around it
An accurate story can give the wrong impression when it reappears months or years later. Check the original publication date, the dates mentioned in the text, and any correction or update. A post shared today is not necessarily about something happening today.
Read beyond the headline. Does “coming Monday” mean next Monday, or a Monday long past? Is a proposal being presented as a final decision? Has a quotation lost the sentence that explained it?
Try this: Read the full announcement before passing along the screenshot. FactCheck.org’s guide covers old stories presented as new and headlines that don’t tell the whole story.
3. Look for evidence you can actually check
An opinion may be worth considering, but it doesn’t establish a factual claim. Look for the document, recording, data, or firsthand account behind the statement.
Follow the supporting link. Does it support the whole claim, or only a small part?
Try this: Complete this sentence: “The evidence for this claim is…” The University of Washington Libraries’ SIFT guide describes tracing claims back to their original context.
4. Check whether other sources are independent
Five posts copying one screenshot still lead back to one source. Look for reporting or expertise that brings its own evidence.
An organization’s announcement shows what it says or plans. Independent reporting may help establish what happened in practice.
Try this: Search the claim in plain words and compare the evidence. The SIFT guide’s corroboration step explains why looking outside the page can help you judge it.
5. Leave room for “not sure yet”
Sometimes the available information won’t settle the question. A missing fact-check doesn’t make a claim true; it may simply mean no one has checked it. “Unverified” and “false” are different conclusions. MediaSmarts explains this limitation in its guide to using fact-checking tools.
You can wait before sharing. You can ask the person who sent it for the original link. And you can say, “I found the claim, but I haven’t found enough evidence to confirm it.” That’s a useful answer.
A worked example: the $5 library claim
This entire example is fictional. The library, screenshot, and announcement below are made up to demonstrate the checks.
Imagine a screenshot arrives in a group chat: “Library to charge $5 per book starting Monday.” It sounds like borrowing books will now cost money.
You find the original page. Its date is from last year. The full announcement advertises a one-day fundraiser selling donated books for $5 each. The screenshot has left out the words that explain the event. Three other posts turn out to be copies of the same cropped image.
Now you have a specific conclusion: this announcement was about buying donated books at a past fundraiser. It does not support the claim about new borrowing fees. To establish the library’s current borrowing policy, you would still check its current information.
Notice what did the work: finding the original, reading the date and surrounding text, and checking whether the other posts added any evidence.
One habit to take with you
Before you press Share, pause and ask: “What would I point to if someone asked how I know?” A link you’ve read and checked is a better starting point than a headline you remember.
That pause matters especially when a post makes you angry, frightened, or eager to tell everyone. The Government of Canada’s guidance on detecting disinformation recommends checking accuracy before sharing. A strong reaction can prompt a check; it cannot establish whether a claim is true.
Source review: October 22, 2026. This guide brings together practical advice from the linked resources. The worked example is original fiction.