The SIFT Method

Digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield developed SIFT — four steps for checking any online claim:

• Stop — do not react or share yet; pause first
• Investigate the source — who published this, and what is their track record?
• Find better coverage — search for the same claim from other, more reliable outlets
• Trace claims — follow the claim back to its original source

The most powerful step is Find better coverage. If a shocking claim appears on only one obscure website, that is a major red flag. If several established outlets report it independently, it is far more likely to be true.