Fighting disinformation: Can You Believe It?

Can You Believe It? is an initiative dedicated to uncovering how disinformation reaches consumers and providing tools to help our audience fight its spread. Are you seeing disinformation in your social media feeds? Share with us by emailing tell@mpr.org.

February 3, 2020 6:31 PM

Online misinformation fuels doubt as 2020 vote kicks off

The state's Republican secretary of state has criticized a conservative group for using old statistics and bad math to make a false claim about voter fraud. Some supporters of Democrat Bernie Sanders have taken to social media to spread unfounded speculation that the caucus would be rigged to ensure Sanders loses.

by The Associated Press

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February 1, 2020 7:56 AM

Iowa Dems train to fight caucus disinformation

The party says it made changes in light of 2016’s messy caucuses, and in response to concerns about disinformation and outside influences.

by Cody Nelson

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January 31, 2020 5:26 PM

U of M doctor battles virus misinformation online

Social media platforms including TikTok, Facebook and Twitter are acting to remove the false content, but experts expect it to continue as the virus spreads, and as uncertainty about it remains.

by The Associated Press

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January 29, 2020 4:01 AM

1 simple step could help election security. Governments aren't doing it

Local governments could perform a simple upgrade to make it clear to voters that they are reading from a legitimate source. But on the whole, they aren't doing it.

by Miles Parks

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January 23, 2020 11:55 AM

How to spot 2020 election disinformation

New polling from NPR shows that Americans find misleading information the biggest threat to election safety. How can voters be prepared to detect misinformation ahead of the election?

by Miles Parks and Lucy Perkins

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January 22, 2020 9:00 AM

How to educate young people about information, news literacy

In a recent study of college students, almost half of those polled said they aren’t confident in how to tell the difference between real and fake news on social media platforms. We turned to two experts to understand how we interact with information today, the challenges different generations face when it comes to issues like disinformation and tools to help.

by Catharine Richert and Breann Schossow

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January 21, 2020 6:59 PM

NPR poll: Majority of Americans believe Trump encourages election interference

More than 40 percent believe the U.S. is not very prepared to keep this year's election safe. The results paint a picture of a polarized electorate wary about what it reads and the fairness of elections.

by Brett Neely

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January 14, 2020 4:53 PM

Rumors, misinformation lurked as Minnesota county rejected refugees

Beltrami County attracted national attention when commissioners voted against refugee resettlement last week. Ahead of the vote, false information about resettlement circulated on social media, in text messages and in flyers mailed to some county residents.

by Riham Feshir

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January 8, 2020 4:00 AM

Disinformation 2020: How to spot faulty news this election year

How do you know if you can believe what you read about the 2020 campaign, especially on social media? The truth can be hard to find. Here are some ways to start.

by Catharine Richert, Brian Bakst and Cody Nelson