© 2024 Ideastream Public Media

1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
(216) 916-6100 | (877) 399-3307

WKSU is a public media service licensed to Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Weather-Related Closings and Delays

To fight election misinformation, pause if you react strongly to new information

Online news search and reading, news updates, news websites, information on newspapers, public events, events, announcements on smartphone screen
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images
/
Digital Vision Vectors
Online news search and reading, news updates, news websites, information on newspapers, public events, events, announcements on smartphone screen

It's normal to have an emotional response to information you encounter online or in the news. But if the information you just received elicits a particularly strong emotion, that might be a signal to hit the brakes, said Rachel Moran of the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public.

"A lot of misleading information is created intentionally to sow confusion or to create an emotional reaction. So if it's doing that to you, it doesn't necessarily mean that what you've read is wrong, but it is a good cue to sort of slow down," she said.

We desire to see our beliefs reflected back to us, so it's easy to agree with something if it reinforces our worldview — even if it's not true, said Hannah Covington, senior director of education content at the News Literacy Project. "When you see information that you just automatically agree with, that's really a signal to pause and maybe do a quick search."

For more tips on how to avoid spreading election misinformation, read the full article.

Copyright 2024 NPR

Audrey Nguyen