Break the Fake: How to tell what's true online.

To solve the misinformation crisis, we have to make fact-checking a habit. Canadians agree that misinformation (sometimes called "fake news") is a serious problem. Our social media feeds are increasingly flooded with fake or misleading material, and while some misinformation is aimed at getting people to believe a particular message, its overall effect is to make it harder for people to believe anything. Like buckling a seat belt, to become a habit something has to be quick and easy enough to do it every time. MediaSmarts' "Break the Fake" program teaches four steps to verify (or check) online information, each of which can be used alone or in combination with the others and will almost never take more than a minute to do. Misinformation is a big problem, but it is one we can solve. We can all help to Break the Fake!