Fact-checking isn’t just for journalists. Here are 5 reasons it’s for you, too

Fact-checking makes you a clearer communicator, a better decision-maker and a more trusted friend. A new course helps you learn how

My friends and family know I’m a fact-checker, so they send memes on a regular basis, asking me, “Is this true?” It’s usually a post that makes them sad or mad.  When I tell them it’s not true, they feel relieved, and I feel like their cool, smart friend.

Other times, I see things people share that make them happy, and I have to burst their bubble. I tell them their cool TikTok video isn’t quite right, or that zinger meme is actually wrong. Then I feel like the school hall monitor.