You should fact-check a news item or internet posting whenever:
1. You find it flattering.
2. It is likely to inspire outrage or hatred in its intended audience.
3. It appeals to racial, social, national, religious, or political identity.
4. It appeals to sentimentality.
5. It claims deliberate malevolence when mere incompetence would suffice.
6. It involves a conspiracy which would require prolonged secrecy from a large group of people.
7. It reduces a complex problem to a simple sound byte.
8. It contradicts well established peer-reviewed science.
The best way to sell a lie is to make it emotionally appealing. A logical fallacy might be used to defend a lie, but the fallacy will only be convincing if people already want to believe it. Effective lies have an emotional payoff. If it’s something you want to believe, be on your guard.
