How to tell if something is true? Three questions to ask yourself about what you see, hear and read
Have you ever heard a story so exciting you wanted to share it right away? Something like a shark swimming up a flooded highway?
An image that seems to show just that was shared by many people after Hurricane Ian struck Florida in 2022. It was also widely shared after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, Texas, in 2017. It’s a fake – a flooded highway image combined with one of a great white shark. The fact-checking website Snopes found it circulating as far back as 2011 after Hurricane Irene slammed Puerto Rico.
Truth can be tricky to determine. Every message you read, see or hear comes from somewhere and was created by someone and for someone.