Meta launches campaign in Bulgaria to help people spot false news

Meta launches Facts in Focus in Bulgaria - an educational campaign co-created with local artists designed to help people identify and respond to misinformation.

Today in Bulgaria and several other Central and Eastern Europe countries Meta is launching a new digital campaign called Facts in Focus. It features a collection of artwork from local artists and creators, designed to help people identify and respond to misinformation.

Visual art can be a powerful tool for understanding complex societal challenges, including misinformation. That is why Meta asked illustrators and graphic artists to use their art to empower people to decide for themselves what to read, trust and share - both online and offline.

As part of the #factsinfocus initiative Bulgarian creators used their own creative storytelling to share tips on their Instagram accounts reminding people to do things like always check the source of the story, watch out for obvious spelling or formatting errors, make sure the link looks correct, and check visual content for signs of manipulation.

01/ Be sceptical of headlines.

Focusing on the social environment that is getting more and more saturated with unbelievable headlines, that lack even a little nuance of truth to them. If shocking claims in the headline sound unbelievable, they probably are.

02/ Look closely at the link.

A phony or look-alike link may be a warning sign of false news. Many false news sites mimic authentic news sources by making small changes to the link. You can go to the site to compare the link to established sources.

03/ Investigate the source.

Ensure that the story is written by a source that you trust with a reputation for accuracy. If the story comes from an unfamiliar organization, check their “About” section to learn more.

04/ Watch for unusual formatting.

Many false news sites have misspellings or awkward layouts. Read carefully if you see these signs.

05/ Consider the photos.

False news stories often contain manipulated images or videos. Sometimes the photo may be authentic, but taken out of context. You can search for the photo or image to verify where it came from.

06/ Inspect the dates.

False news mat contain timelines that make no sense, or event dates that have been altered.

07/ Check the evidence.

Check the author's sources to confirm that they are accurate. Lack of evidence or reliance or unnamed experts may indicate a false news story.

08/ Look at other reports.

If no other news source is reporting the same story, it may indicate that the story is false. If the story is reported by multiple sources you trust, it's more likely to be true.

09/ Is the story a joke?

Sometimes false news stories can be hard to distinguish from humour or satire. Check whether the source is known for parody, and whether the story's details and tone suggest it may be just for fun.

10/ Some stories are intentionally false.

Think critically about the stories you read and only share news that you know to be credible.​​​​​​​