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There’s an unlimited supply of information flying around the internet, on the news and on social media. Still, it’s important to remember that it’s not all reliable, legitimate or factually correct.  This is why, before we accept and share a claim, it’s important to think about:

1. Credibility

Credibility evaluates how trustworthy the source where we found the claim is. 

We would give more credibility to a claim made in a peer-reviewed study published in a top-tier publication than a non-peer-reviewed industry report. And we’d give more credibility to an independent source than a fossil fuel company’s website.

However, it’s important to note that a credible claim doesn’t always equal a true statement! 

Examples of really credible sources:

• Peer-reviewed studies: The higher the tier of the publishing journal, the more credible. This report on how much money countries should commit to in order to advance on climate action is a good example of a really credible source. 

Examples of fairly credible sources:

• Photos, videos, documents, etc: Highly credible, but easily manipulable.
• Expert testimony: Credibility depends on the expert’s reputation and needs backing up.

Examples of less credible sources:

• Witness testimonies: Always need backing up.
• Leaks and off-the-record: Need to fact check.
• Social media posts: See above.
• AI: Always need to check the sources.
• Advertorials: Check if the writer or publisher has a vested interest.

2. Plausibility

Plausibility evaluates how much something seems true alongside our previous knowledge. 

For example, if the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said that fossil fuels are safe to use and we can move ahead with business-as-usual, the claim would not be plausible even if the IPCC is a credible institution. 

A plausible claim is not necessarily true. And, in reverse, an implausible claim might be true (but would to be backed by solid evidence).

In the example above the IPCC would need a lot of evidence to back its claim that business-as-usual is the way to go. Luckily, this is not what they actually say, you can read more on what their latest report actually says here. 

 

The idea of combatting the climate crisis by reducing our individual carbon footprint is still something that is referred to today (pictured above). But it was actually invented by BP in a bid to distract people away from the real problem, fossil fuels.

How do we know? Tons of scientific research refuting it. Don’t know whether to believe us? Good! Time for you to go and do your research!

3. Coherence

Coherence evaluates how much sense the claim makes on its own, without considering its context.

For example: “It has been proven that fossil fuels cause climate change, yes, but in this case it’s actually the Sun” is an incoherent claim.

Whilst coherent claims are not necessarily true claims, incoherent claims, are most likely not true or at least not accurate. They require fact-checking.

It’s impossible to be 100% certain but if you use these three things to evaluate the claim then you will be able to make a more informed decision about whether it is reliable or not. Some other important tips that you can keep in mind, while navigating news, are: 

• Technical and specialized language can make something sound legitimate, but it doesn’t mean it is. An understanding of the different terminology associated with the climate crisis, transition away from fossil fuels and renewable energy, is important,
• Also, science can’t provide the answer to every question and doesn’t always take into account the lived experiences of communities or intergenerational knowledge. So although we’re guided by science, it’s important to consider a variety of sources.
• Whilst talking about the climate crisis is so important to keep building our movement, misinformation is rife. It’s important we stay curious, think critically and try to fact-check claims as much as we can before we share them. Read our series where we fact check false solutions to the climate crisis!