I contributed to this by @BBCFergusWalsh with more details on those false rumours about the vaccine trial spreading on social mediahttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Down pointing backhand index" aria-label="Emoji: Down pointing backhand index"> https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🚨" title="Police cars revolving light" aria-label="Emoji: Police cars revolving light"> So here’s a quick thread on how to spot fake news like this https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🚨" title="Police cars revolving light" aria-label="Emoji: Police cars revolving light">

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="1️⃣" title="Keycap digit one" aria-label="Emoji: Keycap digit one"> Check your sourcehttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="‼️" title="Double exclamation mark" aria-label="Emoji: Double exclamation mark">This rumour seemed to originate on a site you’ve probably never heard of. The link was then shared across social media. Check what @UniofOxford are saying since they’re running the vaccine trial. Or check news sources and public health bodies you trust.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="2️⃣" title="Keycap digit two" aria-label="Emoji: Keycap digit two"> Just because one thing is true doesn’t mean *everything* is https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧐" title="Face with monocle" aria-label="Emoji: Face with monocle"> The site where the claims seemed to originate shares both genuine and fake news stories. This is a lot like the lists of dodgy medical advice that have gone viral - some tips are true and others myths.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="3️⃣" title="Keycap digit three" aria-label="Emoji: Keycap digit three"> Does it look fake? The article was written in poor English with grammatical errors. That’s often a red flag https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🚩" title="Triangular flag on post" aria-label="Emoji: Triangular flag on post"> that it’s not real. Capital letters and mismatched fonts are also often indicators a post might be misleading.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="4️⃣" title="Keycap digit four" aria-label="Emoji: Keycap digit four"> Think about bias https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="‼️" title="Double exclamation mark" aria-label="Emoji: Double exclamation mark"> The article was shared in Facebook groups with tens of thousands of members that oppose vaccinations. Think about the motive of the person sharing it https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤔" title="Thinking face" aria-label="Emoji: Thinking face"> Are they sharing it because they know it& #39;s true - or just because they agree with it?

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="5️⃣" title="Keycap digit five" aria-label="Emoji: Keycap digit five"> Does it make you emotional? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤬" title="Face with symbols over mouth" aria-label="Emoji: Face with symbols over mouth">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😰" title="Face with open mouth and cold sweat" aria-label="Emoji: Face with open mouth and cold sweat">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥳" title="Partying face" aria-label="Emoji: Partying face"> This rumour will make lots of people feel worried, angry or upset - and more likely to pass it on. Stop and think before you sharehttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="‼️" title="Double exclamation mark" aria-label="Emoji: Double exclamation mark">

Here are more tips on how to spot misinformation about coronavirus onlinehttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Down pointing backhand index" aria-label="Emoji: Down pointing backhand index"> https://twitter.com/bbcsounds/status/1240965665055539201?s=21">https://twitter.com/bbcsounds... https://twitter.com/bbcsounds/status/1240965665055539201">https://twitter.com/bbcsounds...

And on how to slow the spread of misleading stuff on social media https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="‼️" title="Double exclamation mark" aria-label="Emoji: Double exclamation mark"> This might be for @BBCNewsround but the advice isn’t just for kidshttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Down pointing backhand index" aria-label="Emoji: Down pointing backhand index"> https://twitter.com/mariannaspring/status/1245740954163777537">https://twitter.com/mariannas...

Plus catch this excellent thread by @Shayan86 breaking this downhttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Down pointing backhand index" aria-label="Emoji: Down pointing backhand index"> Reporting on misinformation online is about showing your workings not just the answers https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧐" title="Face with monocle" aria-label="Emoji: Face with monocle"> so everyone can see how you got there + investigate misleading stuff themselveshttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="‼️" title="Double exclamation mark" aria-label="Emoji: Double exclamation mark"> https://twitter.com/shayan86/status/1254382154286579712?s=21">https://twitter.com/shayan86/...

And here is the volunteer in question! She’s spoken to @BBCFergusWalsh today - definitely alive https://twitter.com/bbcferguswalsh/status/1254440535709962245?s=21">https://twitter.com/bbcfergus... https://twitter.com/bbcferguswalsh/status/1254440535709962245">https://twitter.com/bbcfergus...