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Category: Misinformation 101

  • Misinformation Tactic – Moving the goalposts

    Picture this, you’re on the soccer field about to score a goal when out of nowhere, your opponent moves the net!

    Ever been in a disagreement that has felt like this?

    “Moving the goalposts” is a common tactic used by misinformers (1). The phrase describes an ever-changing target.

    It goes like this:

    Person A requests Person B to meet a certain goal. “Show me the vaccine is safe and effective”
    Person B completes the goal as asked. *Does a large-scale, randomized controlled trial evaluating safety and effectiveness*
    Instead of admitting that Person B has met the goal, Person A requests further goals. “But there were no studies about whether the vaccine makes you magnetic!”

    If you see someone being Person A, point it out! Highlighting gaps in logic can be an effective debunking strategy (2).

    But doing this without shame or ridicule — and leading with empathy — is CRUCIAL (2). Try to understand how willing a person is to an open and challenging conversation. You may want to save your time and energy and engage with them when they are open to listening (3).

  • The only thing magnetic about the vaccines is how attractive they’ll make you.

  • When you spot misinformation online, REPORT IT!

    When you spot misinformation online, REPORT IT! ️

    On Instagram you can report a post or comment as False Information! Tap the three dots on the top right, then tap Report > It’s Inappropriate> False Information > Submit Report. For a comment, swipe to the left > tap the exclamation mark in the speech bubble > tap “Report this comment.” Then follow the same steps as above.

    Share and put #ScienceUpFirst!

    You can get a guide from the @WHO on how to report posts anywhere on the internet by checking out our @ScienceUpFirst profiles on Facebook and Twitter.

  • Pause & think before you share!

    4 quick ways to put #ScienceUpFirst and break the chains of misinformation!

    1. Pause and think before you share.
    2. If you see a misleading post on social media, report it as false information.
    3. It’s important to de-bunk, but try not to re-share the original post and give it more views when doing so (screenshots are great!).
    4. Make sure you share good science to help it go viral!

  • 5 tips for debunking misinformation

    If you see someone sharing misinformation, here are some handy tips to debunk it!