Evaluating Online Sources

A lot of the information we see online comes through images like memes, screenshots, or photos that make big claims. But not everything you see is what it seems. Many images are edited, taken out of context, or even created entirely with AI. If you want to find out whether something is real or see what trustworthy sources are saying about it, here are a couple of easy ways to start:

• Try a reverse image search. This tool helps you see where an image came from and how it’s been used in other places online. Watch the short video below to learn how to do this.
• Search the text from the image. If the image includes words—like a headline, quote, or photo of a sign—try typing a few key phrases into Google. You might find reliable articles or fact-checking sites that talk about the photo.

It’s getting harder to know whether the videos we see online are real. Some are edited to leave out key context, while others are completely AI-generated (often call deepfakes). If you want to check whether a video is trustworthy, here are a few ways to start:

• Look for trustworthy sources. See if credible news outlets or fact-checking organizations have covered the video or the event it shows. If no reliable sources are talking about it, that’s a red flag.
• Search for context. Try typing a short description of the video into Google or YouTube to see if other versions exist—or if experts have verified or debunked it.
• Check for visual or audio clues. Pay attention to things like unnatural facial or hand movements, strange lighting, mismatched shadows, or robotic-sounding voices. These can indicate that a video has been edited or generated with AI.