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LifeKit's tips on how to counter misinformation

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

Misinformation can divide communities, and it can make it harder for people to make informed choices at the ballot box but also at the grocery store or at the doctor's office. People trust information more when it comes from sources or cultural contexts that they already know, so that means talking to your loved ones can make a difference in the fight against misinformation. For NPR's Life Kit, Audrey Nguyen reports.

AUDREY NGUYEN, BYLINE: It can be difficult to talk to a friend or family member about false or misleading information they're sharing. To increase your chances of having a productive conversation, experts say to start from a place of connection, not correction.

RACHEL KUO: Building these bridges of understanding, I think, also helps people learn and grow on either side of the conversation.

A NGUYEN: Rachel Kuo is the research facilitator of the Asian American Disinformation Table. She says it's important to set aside the idea of intervention to start. Kuo recommends doing this by taking time to understand why your loved one believes the misleading content. She also says it's important to recognize that your friend or family member has a whole life's worth of experiences that affects how they engage with information.

KUO: So often, people's memories really shape the ways that they engage in current ways with political systems and their media environments.

A NGUYEN: These conversations are not about trying to change someone's core beliefs, says Sarah Nguyen. She's a doctoral candidate at the University of Washington Information School and studies how people share information with each other.

SARAH NGUYEN: It is more about how can we build this coexisting trust with each other and continue these types of conversations in a sustainable and healthy way.

A NGUYEN: The goal here is to keep the conversation going. Making someone feel like their worldview is totally wrong is just going to cause them to shut down. So instead of trying to convince your uncle or your auntie to not vote for a particular candidate, try discussing a specific piece of misleading or false information that they're repeating. You might think that keeping that correction short and sweet is the move, but actually...

BRIONY SWIRE-THOMPSON: Providing a good amount of detail for why something is wrong is more effective.

A NGUYEN: That's Professor Briony Swire-Thompson. She's the director of the Psychology of Misinformation Lab at Northeastern University. She says when you do attempt to correct misleading information, provide a detailed fact check.

SWIRE-THOMPSON: So that's one of the best methods that we know to correct misinformation, is by not just saying this piece of misinformation is false but providing what we call a factual alternative, so saying what is actually true.

A NGUYEN: So say, for example, your friend doubts the integrity of mail-in voting. After you've taken time to understand why they believe that to be true, you can tell them instances of voter fraud are extremely rare. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute, multiple analyses have shown it's more likely someone will be struck by lightning than commit mail ballot fraud. If things are getting unproductive or you're getting stonewalled, Kuo says, it's all right to take a step back.

KUO: Reorienting to say, like, OK, like, what I care about, first and foremost, is this relationship, and where do we then move forward together from there, I think, helps.

A NGUYEN: All three experts say you can't expect things to change after one conversation.

S NGUYEN: There is always this sense of urgency when we hear something false and saying, false. I want to correct you. But in, like, the spirit of building long-term relationships, to be able to do this on a slower scale will have a larger impact.

A NGUYEN: These conversations aren't easy, but the hard work can be worthwhile. Audrey Nguyen, NPR News.

DETROW: For more on Life Kit, go to npr.org/lifekit.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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