3 ways you can spot misinfo about the anti-ICE protests in LA

Yes, AI is generating it too. Here's how to deal.

Photo by Cedric Letsch on Unsplash

It's been a heavy past few days here in Southern California. ICE raids have been sweeping through the region, anti-ICE protests mobilized in downtown Los Angeles, and last Saturday the president ordered the National Guard to the streets of LA.

On that day, I was visiting friends in Malibu, oblivious to the violence downtown but contemplating other forms of devastation: homes burned to their skeletal foundations after the January wildfires, blackened cars, concrete staircases that led nowhere.

Chaos and uncertainty make for the perfect conditions for misinformation to spread. Upheavals like natural disasters and political unrest mean that people will be seeking information, and others will try to share answers as rapidly as possible—from opportunists to well-intentioned people making mistakes. Already, a YouTuber has made false claims about the Mexican president’s response to the protests, while users on X circulated a video of burning police cars that was actually an old video from the 2020 protests following George Floyd's murder.

The military is still in LA, and more protesters are organizing in other major cities across the United States. The potential for inflammatory misinfo and rumors still lie ahead. Here's my quick guide on how to not inadvertently fan the flames, and what to do before you share that thing you found online:

1. If you encounter information on social media, cross-check it with another source outside of social media

Social media platforms aren't incentivized to show you truthful information. Instagram is designed to keep you on Instagram, so that you see more ads on Instagram, and your eyeballs make money for (you guessed it) Instagram. And so forth for Facebook, TikTok, and X.

This means that your social algorithms will prioritize the kind of content that "engages" you, not necessarily what's factual.

If you see a piece of info on a social media platform that you're inclined to share, corroborate it with another source first. Is it a hotline for an aid organization? Search for a website to make sure it exists. A statistic? Try to look for the data source and make sure that the social post isn't misrepresenting the numbers. Data on immigration (such as numbers of border crossings and removals) are particularly tricky depending on what's being counted and how.

Here are local, reliable news outlets I'd look to for LA-specific news:

• Our local major newspaper: The LA Times, particularly this helpful “facts vs. spin” breakdown

• Nonprofit news outlets: LA Public Press, CalMatters

• Radio: LAist 89.3 (this is also a nonprofit)

• TV: KTLA5, KCAL9

What's a reliable news outlet? It’s a great question I'll go into more detail on in a future post. Tl;dr for now: I define that as an organization that produces work rooted in ethical reporting principles and dedicated fact-checking processes involving multiple rounds of review.

2. If it elicits a strong emotional reaction, cross-check it with another source

Here's an example of this in action: On Saturday as the protests escalated, my boyfriend saw a TikTok Live that appeared to depict escalating clashes in LA. He knew I might be nearby. Even though his impulse was to contact me, he quickly checked with a news source first to make sure what he saw on TikTok was real. (Green flag!!)

This is hard to do. More than once, I’ve seen an infuriating post and wanted to immediately pull the trigger and share it. But social media platforms and dubious ad-driven websites profit from "engaging" you, whether that's enraging you or making you fear for your loved ones. Bad actors can take advantage of this.

Strong emotional reactions can be a clue that a piece of content is less-than-true. And other times, as in the case of this TikTok Live, they can be legit. You really don't know unless you cross-check it with another source.

3. Never rely on one source of truth

"Cross-check it with another source" is my refrain of the day. It’s healthy and encouraged to exercise skepticism over everything you encounter on the internet (including this newsletter!).

But it’s particularly important now as California leaders challenge the federal government’s unsolicited military response—so you’ll get different portrayals of the protests from each level of government. Facts about immigration are prone to distortion, too, because it’s an extremely complicated, confusing issue.

To get a nuanced picture, get the facts from multiple perspectives and platforms: Follow stories from a reliable news site which, if it’s a good one, won’t just echo statements from officials at each level of the government, but will contextualize them too. Watch an independent journalist who's on the ground and reporting via Instagram Reels. Weigh first-hand accounts of people directly affected (but take a beat to make sure they’re legit).

Last thing: AI chatbots are not fact-checkers. The ChatGPT and Grok chatbots have already hallucinated false information about the National Guard deployment in California, and X users ran with it. Sigh.

Here's a recap:

1. If you see it on social media, cross-check before sharing

2. If it elicits a strong emotional reaction, cross-check before sharing

3. Never rely on one source of truth, and definitely don't “ask ChatGPT.”

And 4: Reach out to your loved ones if they're in the area, or personally affected by immigration enforcement. If you need to, log off and phone a friend. Caring for one another, and protecting our communities from manipulation so that we're informed and empowered together, is what this is all about.

Until next time,
Pia

I'm working on a 3-part series on de-mystifying news on the internet. It includes a breakdown of how I think through my own information intake, along with resources for how to curate your own media diet so that you’re in charge, not the algo.

What questions do you have for me? Do you have a personal story about how online misinfo has affected your life? Do you have any tips that have worked well for you? Reply or comment below!