TweetCheckr

TweetCheckr is a web application that walks users through the steps to verify the information they find in posts on Twitter. Built for journalists, but available for everyone, TweetCheckr's process is based on First Draft News' Social Media Verification training course.

When breaking news occurs, many people turn to Twitter to share it. However, it is also very easy to share and spread misinformation quickly via the platform. Increasing numbers of reporters spend much of their time on Twitter, promoting their work, collaborating, and finding leads.

But most Twitter-using reporters are also aware of the pitfalls of using Twitter as a source of information for their reporting, despite the fact that there is a lot of legitimate newsworthy information being shared. Based on user research, most Twitter-using reporters don’t have a methodology for verifying the information they find on the platform.

Existing educational resources that help reporters verify online information require that they visit many different websites and online tools, and that they remember all the available resources and ways that information might be invalid.

TweetCheckr’s mission is to help stem the tide of misinformation being spread via social media, by providing an easy and accessible process to debunk falsified content, and educating Internet users (and journalists in particular) about how to spot a suspicious post.