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NEA News

How to Stop Disinformation

Make a truth sandwich.
Published: August 1, 2024
This article originally appeared on NEA.org

Consider how you would respond in this scenario: You come across a Facebook post that talks about your school, but the facts are all wrong.

The post—which has dozens of shares—claims that the school library is stocked with inappropriate titles for your elementary students, which you know to be false.

 Should you:

a) Comment on the Facebook post to debunk the false narrative; 
b) comment on the article itself; or 
c) both?

It turns out that often, the best thing to do is none of the above, says Katie O’Connell, a specialist in NEA’s Center for Communications with expertise in countering false information. “When you interact with disinformation online, it gets a boost from the platform’s algorithm,” she explains.

“Of course, educators want to correct false claims about public schools—but we have to be careful about how we do that to make sure we aren’t inadvertently giving the false narratives more credibility,” O’Connell says.

Anti-public education and anti-union forces often circulate disinformation online that pushes false narratives. The goal? To undermine trust in public schools, educators, and unions. This can harm our schools—and our democracy!

So, what can you do to get the truth out there? Read on for step-by-step advice from O’Connell on how to evaluate and counter disinformation.

Help stop the spread of "fake news" about public schools!

Don't
Boost bad content.
Algorithms are powerful.
When you come across videos, articles, or social media posts that smear public schools, don’t inadvertently give it a boost by commenting or responding directly.
Do
Add your voice - the right way!
Counter disinformation by seeking out content that you do want circulating.
Add comments and give your “thumbs up” to articles, videos, and posts that give an accurate picture of what public schools do or that call out the bad actors. Share content that your state affiliate posts. You can also make memes, videos, or graphics in free programs like Canva.
Do
Assess the threat
First, determine the content’s reach.
Is it circulating broadly or stuck in partisan spaces? Next, consider its impact. Could this content change the situation offline? For example, could it affect voter turnout for a pro-public school candidate? Is it chipping away at local support for public schools? Minor threats can be ignored, but if you see high-profile content that could do damage, move on to step two.
Do
Make a "truth sandwich."
Here's how:
Let’s say you want to counter a social post that falsely accuses your school of pushing “inappropriate materials for children.” Use the ingredients below to deliver a heaping helping of accurate information.
Truth sandwich graphic
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