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.

Prepare for This Week's Challenge

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.

Your Challenge: Determine the Accuracy of News Stories about Masks

1. In a new tab, see if you can locate information about the claim in the post.
2. If you aren't familiar with the claim, don't trust it, or no sources are cited, open up a new tab in your browser and investigate. What are people saying about this topic? Is it trustworthy?
3. Based on your findings, determine if the claim is true or false, then click the Submit button to complete your answer. Note: This quiz is anonymous.
4. Click on "View Score" to see what you got right and wrong, and get feedback on the answers.

Further Resources