The Commons · Information discipline
During an emergency, information arrives faster than certainty. A calm response depends on knowing what is confirmed, what is still developing, and what should not be repeated yet.
Choose trusted sources before the event.
Sign up for local emergency alerts and identify the official accounts for your city or county, law enforcement, fire service, emergency management, school, workplace, utility, and weather service. Save the URLs and numbers. A familiar source is easier to find when social feeds are moving quickly.
Use a three-part check.
- Source: Who first published the claim? Is it an official agency, a firsthand witness, a news organization, or an anonymous repost?
- Time and place: Is the image or message current, and does it actually come from the location being discussed?
- Confirmation: Has a second reliable source verified the central fact, or is everyone repeating the same unverified account?
Separate facts from instructions.
You may not know exactly what happened, but an official protective instruction can still be valid. If authorities tell people to evacuate, shelter, avoid an area, boil water, or use a particular route, follow that instruction while the investigation continues.
Slow down manipulated content.
Old images, cropped video, false captions, artificial audio, impersonated accounts, and fabricated screenshots can move quickly during a crisis. Search for the original post. Compare account names carefully. Look for a time stamp and location. Do not forward a dramatic image simply because it feels plausible.
Share less, but make it useful.
If you share urgent information, include the source, time, location, and action people should take. Label uncertainty plainly. Avoid names of victims, graphic images, tactical responder locations, or unconfirmed suspect descriptions. Those details can harm families, consume resources, or create new risk.
Create a rumor stop.
Neighborhoods and organizations should name one place where corrections will appear. When false information surfaces, post the verified fact and the source without repeating the rumor more widely than necessary.
In the fog, being first is less useful than being accurate enough to help someone make the next decision.
Stay connected to official information
Ready.gov emergency alerts · Understand alerts and protective actions