EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK: In times of crisis, check your sources

As we watched the devastation of Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina over the weekend, I couldn’t help but feel another wave of tension in my stomach. I felt for the victims — the countless who lost their homes and the dozens who have lost their lives — but I was also wary about another disaster waiting to hit, the kind of the virtual variety.

In the aftermath of disasters, whether natural or unnatural, there is a surge of mis- and disinformation that takes over the internet.

Over the weekend, dozens of images from the hurricane came across social media. Most of them were accurate and authentic, depicting the impact of the storm in real time. But a few, like ones shared here, here, here and here, were not.

In times of crisis, inaccurate data can be shared, too. Everything from the death toll to what resources are available can get murky. And then there’s real disinformation, spread from bad actors like former President Trump who made multiple false claims about response efforts.

So I’m urging everyone, especially in the hours and days after a disaster strikes, to check your sources. Don’t share anything you see on social media unless you know it’s from a trusted source. Follow your local news organizations that are on the ground, doing the work in the area. 

I’ve personally been following updates from Blue Ridge Public Radio, the Asheville Citizen-Times and the Assembly.

And if you see an image you think could be suspicious, throw it into TinEye’s reverse image search tool. It’ll show you when the image was first shared on the internet. And keep a lookout for AI-generated images, too. You can also stay current on mis- or disinformation that’s been fact checked in the last few days here.

In times of crisis it’s easy to get lost in the excess of content that is shared online, but it’s on all of us to practice good media literacy, especially when people’s lives are on the line.