The saying, "You can't believe everything you read," is becoming more and more true in our digital age.
In recent months, electric vehicles have been an especially hot area for online misinformation — like the false claim that CNN ran an article claiming Elon Musk was considering melting down the Statue of Liberty to make limited edition Cybertrucks.
@newslitproject 🚘 So ... there's been a lot of misinformation about electric vehicles recently. Don't let your beliefs about cybertrucks & flying cars drive you down a road littered with impostor content. Best to stay in the fact-finding lane. #EVs #Cybertrucks #MediaLiteracy ♬ original sound - News Literacy Project
Luckily, many have spotted these falsehoods that are put forth as true news, including the News Literacy Project (@newslitproject). In a post on TikTok, the group shed a light across EV facts and fiction, plus offered some tips to help spot more debunkable headlines in the future.
In the caption, they noted: "There's been a lot of misinformation about electric vehicles recently. For starters, the claim about Musk and Lady Liberty was allegedly published by CNN … except it wasn't.
"Attributing false information to a well-known brand is a common way to spread misinformation," the video host explained. "It's called imposter content."
They also pointed out some clear red flags to catch this content in the act: If a headline is shared as a screenshot instead of a working link, if an image is clearly generated by artificial intelligence, and if a keyword or date search with the outlet yields no record of an article.
"Don't let your beliefs about Cybertrucks and flying cars drive you down a road littered with impostor content," the group wrote on the post. "Best to stay in the fact-finding lane."
Similar stories have made the rounds on social media that have since been debunked. Tesla did not release a flying car, nor a $17,000 motorhome. And Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg did not spend $8 billion on just eight electric vehicle charging stations.
That last claim is particularly disingenuous. In reality, Buttigieg has been a part of a surge in funding for infrastructure projects, stemming from the Biden-Harris administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Over 200 EV charging stations have been built as a result of that legislation, and much of the funding has not even been cashed in yet, the News Literacy Project's post explained.
🗣️ Do you think misinformation is a major problem in America today?
🔘 Definitely 💯
🔘 Only for some people 😒
🔘 Only with certain issues 🤔
🔘 Not really 🙅
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
So, no matter what topics fill your online feeds, be careful of misinformation and keep your eyes peeled for media red flags.
"I wish this would make it to my parents Facebook pages," one commenter wrote.
"When I see something that sounds outlandish I do check other sources to see if that's true or not," another affirmed.
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