How to protect yourself from fakes: tips, life hacks and reliable sources of information

Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine is not only a massive attack throughout the country, but also an endless bombardment of the infospace with fake information.

There are many tips on how to recognize fakes, manipulations and half-truths. But not everyone can become a professional fact checker, especially in times of war and global emotional and information overload. However, we can all learn a number of not very complex but important rules that can reduce the number of defeats on the info front.

Three rules of media literacy

• Choose two or three media outlets from the top ten integrity ratings from the Institute of Mass Media. This recommendation is given by a well-known ambassador of media literacy in Ukraine, author of books on protection against fakes Oksana Moroz.
  
  On these sites you should also check the information received from any other source (group in viber, telegram channel of "some" expert, sites with flashy headlines). The lack of a "sensation" on these resources, which we learned about in the chats, is a bad sign, because the media cannot ignore the hot news. So, there is a high probability that you came across false information.
  
  While it's important to remember that journalists, analysts, and fact-checkers need more time than those who spread lies, it's time to give professionals some time and then go back to the sites of your chosen media.
  
  Also trust official sources (pages of the General Staff, the Commander-in-Chief, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, etc.), wait for official statements and do not rush with reposts.
  
  
•  Subscribe to fact checker resources (list below). It is convenient not only to check the facts, but also to gain experience: a few of their analytical materials - and you will become less vulnerable to fakes.
  
  
• Increased emotionality of the news is a serious hint of fake, because it contradicts journalistic standards. A blogger can afford evaluative judgments and heightened emotionality, but a professional journalist cannot. That is why even a well-known influencer cannot be considered a bearer of truth. Although this is not excluded, of course, if he is an authority in his field. But let's note once again: the high level of emotionality of the presented material (which can be manifested in the words "sensation", "this video is removed" and CAPSLOCK) - a reason to carefully check the news.
  When the information evokes strong emotion, take a break - put down your phone or laptop, take a few deep breaths, drink water. Do not help fake robots and do not repost without checking. Fakes are also effective because they go viral and fill the infospace, drowning out the truth.
  
  Note! Why is playing on emotions bad? The brain is designed so that strong emotions block our ability to think rationally and stifle analytical abilities. Then we are not able to take information critically, which is what fakers want.

Basic fact-checking resources

Texty: https://texty.org.ua/
Behind the Ukraine news: https://www.facebook.com/behindtheukrainenews/
StopFake: https://www.stopfake.org/uk/golovna/
Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/
FactCheck.org
VoxUkraine: https://voxukraine.org/uk/
MED GOblin: https://www.facebook.com/medgoblin/

Auxiliary materials to combat fakes

For greater immersion in the topic, we suggest you read:
NATO information on how to detect and combat fake information:
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/177273.htm;

Instructions from the BBC, which helps to identify false posts on social networks:
https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-60654288.

You can check fakes with bots:

https://t.me/stopdrugsbot - send resources that you suspect of distributing fakes, they will be checked and, if necessary, blocked; https://t.me/perevir_bot - fact-bot "Check" - suspicious news should be sent here, it will be quickly checked here and an answer will be given as to its authenticity.