LEE COUNTY, Fla. — If you've been on social media, you've probably seen and read a lot about the attempted assassination of former President Trump.
But, how can you tell what's real and what's fake?
Clemson University Communications professor Darren Linvill, who studies disinformation, says there are ways to spot false details.
"We saw a lot of voices with a lot of what amounted to opinions and speculation about what they believed may or may not have happened," he said in response to the shooting.
He says misinformation is getting the facts wrong.
Disinformation is spreading false information by people who may have an agenda.
"People want attention, especially if they can get money for getting that attention," Linvill said.
The attention comes through places like social media.
"Social media is a pipeline to make it all spread faster," Linvill explained. "There's no question misinformation and disinformation has always been an issue."
Linvill says it's not only false information — he says conspiracy theories pose a risk.
"Those are the sorts of stories that just call for speculation that feed on previously existing conspiracy theories," he said.
The professor says it's crucial not to spread false information.
"The fight to not spread mis- and disinformation starts with ourselves, it starts with understanding ourselves and knowing what our biases are," Linvill explains.
Also, consider where you're getting the information from.
"Find sources that you know are reliable, that share reliable information," he said. "Different audiences, different partisan perspectives are going to believe different versions of reality."
