Finding the Source

Start by watching this video:

Because it’s so easy to copy and share things online, it’s important to find out where something originally came from before you decide whether or not to trust it. Someone might have shared it with you on social media, or a news story might be based on someone else’s story.

The easiest way to find the source is usually to follow links that will lead you to the original story. In social media like Facebook or Twitter, the link is usually at the end or bottom of the post.

On a website, follow links that lead back to the source. Look for phrases like “According to” a source, a source “reported” or the word “Source” at the top or bottom of a story. Like in this example below – click on highlighted words “Associated Press”:

Make sure to keep going until you’re sure you’re at the original!

On a video or social media post, see if the sources are listed in the post or the description. If there aren’t any, use the Verify the Source step to see if the person posting it is a reliable source.

You can also use a search engine like Google or DuckDuckGo. See if you can find any information about where the story originally came from and do a search including the name of the source.

To find the original source of a photo or image, you can use something called reverse image search. Start by right-clicking on the image and selecting the option “Copy Image Location.” Then go to the website Tineye.com and paste in the address you just copied and sort the results to show the oldest first.

If you don’t know if the original source is reliable or not, Verify the Source to find out.

Something that is real can be also misleading if it you see it in the wrong context. Take a look at these pictures and captions:

How do the different contexts (a rock concern or an environmental protest) change the meaning of the photo?

If you can’t find the original source, Consult Other Sources to see if the story is for real.