Easy Media Literacy for Moms: How to Fact-Check Viral Posts Fast

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With all that’s going on in our world, you likely want to take action. But you can’t act wisely if you’re acting on bad information.


If you've ever seen a viral post that spiked your blood pressure and wondered, “Wait, is this even real?”—this episode is for you.


Caitlin and Ariella Monti (author, former journalist, and resident media studies expert) break down practical media literacy you can use between school drop-off and dinner. No theory. Just fast checks that keep you from getting played. Because outrage is easy. But truth is power.

• Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content. (https://www.ckandgkpodcast.com/post/m...)
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You Need This Episode If...

• You've shared something online and later realized it was fake
• You see family members spreading misinformation and don't know how to respond
• You want to teach your kids to think critically about what they see online
• You're tired of rage bait designed to make you angry
• You need a simple framework for fact-checking without losing your whole evening

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What You'll Get


The key question – "Do I have more feelings than facts about this?" (Use it every time you see something inflammatory)


Misinformation vs. disinformation – Why the difference matters and how to spot each


Common disinformation tactics:

• Recycled images with new captions
• Cropped photos to inflate crowd sizes
• AI-generated images (how to spot warped patterns, impossible hands, too-smooth faces)
• Staged or manipulated scenes

Fast verification workflow:

• Check for named sources
• Reverse image search
• Search "[event] + fact check" with recent dates
• Look for multiple angles/photos from the same event

Source evaluation – Which outlets to trust (AP, Reuters, NPR, BBC, government pages) and red flags to watch for


How to connect this to civic engagement – Writing better emails to reps with actual receipts


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Your Hosts


Caitlin is a former middle school teacher, current mom, and someone who regularly talks herself down from rage bait.


Ariella Monti is an author (Roots in Ink, Bound by Ink), a former journalist, holds a degree in media studies, and once almost retweeted an Onion article because she was too tired to recognize it was satire.


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Sources & Mentions

• Full list in the blog post for this episode!
• Media Literacy Art Education: Logos, Culture, Jamming, and Activism | JSTOR (https://www.jstor.org/stable/27696317)
• WHAT is Media Literacy and HOW Can Simple Shifts Center It? | PBS (https://www.pbs.org/education/blogs/p...)
• Teen Fact-Checking Network (TFCN), MediaWise | Poynter.org (https://www.poynter.org/mediawise/pro...)

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CK & GK




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