Masks have been a contentious and complicated issue throughout this pandemic. So many conflicting reports have come out about which masks are most effective, including debates about whether they're even effective at all. And that's before we even consider the political debates around masks and which states and local municipalities enforce mask wearing in public. This can make consuming news about masks very confusing and difficult.
If you don't know or don't trust the source of new information, the next step is to identify and investigate the claims being made. Pick out a few keywords from the post (e.g. mask, gaiter, exhaust valve), open up a new tab, and conduct a search. Are you seeing coverage of this topic from sources you know and trust? If so, use those sources to fact-check the information.
If you want to do a deep dive, check out Sifting Through the Coronavirus Pandemic from digital information literacy expert Mike Caulfield. This week, we're focusing on Tracing Claims, Quotes and Media to the Original Context.
Need more help with identifying "fake news"? The International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) has a resource available in multiple languages here.
SIFT Infographic by Mike Caulfield is licensed under CC BY 4.0.