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Check a News Story With AI Help

A headline is not the whole story. A few checks protect you from rumors.

Step by step

  1. Check the source.
  2. Find the original report.
  3. Look for other outlets.
  4. Check the date.
  5. Ask AI for questions to verify.

What to expect

Expect a short list of checks: source, date, original report and other outlets.

Mistakes to avoid

Do not share before checking. Avoid trusting screenshots.

A good next step

Pause before sharing anything that makes you angry.

A worked example

A reader sees a shocking headline shared on Facebook. AI suggests checking the original source, the date and whether other outlets report it. She discovers the story is three years old and does not share it.

A prompt you can copy

Type this into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini

I read this headline: [paste]. List five questions I should ask to check whether it is true before sharing.

Good to know. AI itself can be wrong. Use it to plan your checking, not as the judge.

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Common questions

Fact-check sites?

Yes, reputable ones help.

What about photos?

Use reverse image search.

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