Tackling false information after the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment

[...]

Journalists can source questions from community members to help guide their reporting after a disaster. 

In late February, Hagerty solicited questions on social media about East Palestine from her readers. Many were straightforward requests for facts about what actually had happened. She compiled answers to the questions, and also provided links to reliable reporting in one of her newsletters.

“People had basic questions about what was happening, and they just felt like the information they were seeing wasn't answering those questions,” Hagerty said. “I wanted to directly address that and also point people towards some of those more trustworthy sources.”

Hagerty often uses her newsletter to provide readers with basic knowledge about how the emergency management system works in the U.S. “That way they have that understanding, when something like East Palestine happens, and they understand why FEMA is not on the ground day one – it's not something that FEMA is able to do without a certain number of steps being taken from state and federal officials,” she explained.

It’s just as critical for journalists to verify the information they share online themselves. After all, readers look to journalists’ social media accounts for news they can trust. “Something I just always try to ask myself before I share something on social media is: what is this adding to the conversation?” said Hagerty. ”How is someone who's impacted in this situation right now going to be able to use the information I'm sharing?”

[...]