The Library Bulletin

Misinformation is one of the most prevalent byproducts of the information era we live in. The mainstream media, social media, wikipedia and the internet in general have made urban legends, rumours and half truths easier to spread like wildfire.

Enter the fact-checking website Snopes.com, which was launched to investigate, debunk and or confirm urban legends and rumours. Now, with even US presidential candidates repeating fake stories from the web, its co-founder David Mikkelson says ‘the bilge is rising faster than you can pump’ The existence of Snopes and similar sites like FactCheck.Org, TruthOrFiction.com and PolitiFact.com raises several questions: who produces the bilge? Why do people share it? And how much should we trust those who blow the whistle?

Read the full story here via the Guardian